Dragonborn
by A.K. Hakusho
Summary: Two years after Yusuke returns from the Demon World, Keiko and Kuwabara are preparing for college. So is their mutual friend, Kari, a normal high school girl. Little does Keiko know, Kari has a secret. This new friend will capture the attention of the Spirit World's royal family, one particularly nasty apparition, and a certain fire demon.
1. Chapter 1

Keiko just couldn't fathom how much everything had changed in four short years. Back then, Yusuke was leaving for the Demon World, unsure if he would ever return; she had been going into her first year of high school and now she was a young woman, entering her last year of high school. Her world was so very...new.

Yusuke had been back for almost two years now, although he had vanished for a few months ago to visit the demon world and Keiko had feared he would not return; but he had. He and Keiko had yet to marry but Keiko was sure they would eventually. She was in no rush and felt as if they had all the time in the world.

Kuwabara was in his last year of high school, too. He had plans to attend the city's university, majoring in sports medicine. He, too, had changed. Kuwabara was all about keeping his grades up and visiting Yukina as much as he could. He was happy with the peaceful nature of his life.

Yes, everything was different and yet the same. There the three sat in their train car, setting out for a weekend at Genkai's. The had only a few short weeks before the summer set in and Keiko and Kuwabara would be free from school requirements for a time.

Keiko had not been to visit the old psychic in quite some time. She frowned at the ground, thinking about all the weekend could have in store for them. She was tense, nervous. Yusuke and Kuwabara, however, seemed completely at ease, chatting happily about what they planned to do. If only Keiko could have felt so optimistic.

Yusuke kicked her foot to bring her back to reality and Keiko turned her startled eyes on him. Kuwabara nudged his friend roughly.

"Hey! You don't kick girls, Urameshi!"

"What?! That was a tap, you doofus!" Yusuke said as he punched Kuwabara in the arm. "Besides, Keiko's worrying is putting a downer on my fun." Yusuke teased his girlfriend. "Perk up, babe." Keiko rolled her eyes at her boyfriend. Ok, maybe not too much had changed.

"Aw, you shouldn't worry so much, Keiko. Everything's gonna be fine. I mean, we are only gonna be at Genkai's for a few days. What's the worst that could happen?" Kuwabara reasoned with a smile.

"Well, an asteroid could fall out of the sky and squash that pug nosed face of yours." said a voice from the door. Another girl entered the compartment then, interrupting the conversation between the friends, arms loaded down with bags of snacks and a single black back-pack Her grin said that this human girl was a friend to the group.

"Oooooo! Kari got you, Kuwabara!" Yusuke hooted as the newcomer took her seat next to Keiko.

"Aw, come on!" Kuwabara grumbled. Kari laughed and brushed a rebellious black curl from her face. Kari's face was pale like moonlight; which only made her green eyes stand out against her features. Coupled with her long, dark hair, she was definitely a pretty human girl.

"Come off it and take your stupid soda," she replied as she dipped a gloved hand into the shopping bag and produced a cola. Yes, Kari was pretty...and extremely sassy.

Each teen took their offered beverage with a "thanks" and the train finally pulled away from the station. Yusuke and Kuwabara delved back into their own conversation about what they were most excited about doing when they reached the compound. Keiko looked to the other female and realized she was grateful for another companion on this trip.

"You are gonna love the temple! There is a huge forest and a beach and everything," Keiko said. "I'm really glad you decided to come with us this time."

"Yeah, I'm really excited, too! So nice to get away from the city and everything," Kari replied as she stretched her arms above her head, lacing her gloved fingers together. Keiko realized that she had never seen her friend so happy in the few years they had known one another. Kari was usually quiet around people and Keiko had been sure she didn't have many friends. Not that Kari made that easy; she was a loner. It had taken Keiko months to have Kari come over to her house to study and even longer to get her to go away with them for the weekend. However, the more time the two spent together, the more Keiko learned that Kari was an outgoing, athletic girl with just a few quirks. Keiko glanced to the other girl's hands.

"Your gloves are going to get filthy if you decide to go running, though." Kari looked down at the white gloves and Keiko could see a flicker of apprehension cross her friend's green eyes. From the first day they had met, Keiko had never seen Kari without a pair of wrist length gloves, no matter the season or weather.

"I brought more so I can switch them out," Kari replied and smiled at her friend. Keiko decided to let it go, it was Kari's business afterall. The two spent the entire ride chatting and planning for their nice, relaxing weekend at Genkai's temple.

Kari took in a deep breath of the fresh mountain air and she could feel all her trepidation fall away. _This_ was what she needed. Even this never ending staircase couldn't put a damper on her feeling of liberation. Too long she had been cooped up in the city with no open spaces to roam, no space to be free.

"Kari, slow down! Not all of us brought just one bag for the whole weekend," Keiko said, laughing. Kari looked back and grinned.

"Oh, please! Yusuke is carrying your stuff anyway," Kari shot back as she jumped from one step to the next, turning and flipping over her hands here and there. "Are there any good running trails out here, Kuwabara?" The auburn headed teen laughed.

"Not any that I think you would find challenging," he replied and Kari huffed out a breath of air. She wanted to run, especially alone. These woods could go on for miles with no one around and Kari intended to take advantage of that. Kari flipped up to the next step and stood on her hands, facing her friends upside down.

"Well, we are almost at the top. Think this Genkai would mind if I checked out the woods a bit?" Kari flipped her legs back down and continued her bizarre routine of turns and flips as she ascended.

"Psh."Yusuke snorted from beneath his load of Keiko's bags. "Yeah, she might not want you getting eaten by-" Yusuke didn't get a chance to finish his statement for Kuwabara fervently knocking him off balance and almost sending the ex-detective tumbling back the way they had come.

"Huh? Eaten? By what?" Kari questioned and looked from Keiko to Kuwabara, her 'playing' halted for a moment.

"Oh! Yusuke was just kidding! I mean, there are some uh...wolves! Yes, wolves! There are wolves in the woods but they shouldn't bother you," Keiko babbled. Kari merely shrugged and resumed her fun, jumping from step to step lightly. Wolves didn't scare her.

Yusuke picked up his head to vent his frustration but was met only with his girlfriend's disapproving eyes. "What?"

"Ix-nay on the emon-days," Keiko replied in a hushed voice. Yusuke just looked more confused.

"Huh?"

"She said, don't mention the demons, Urameshi. Kari doesn't know, remember?" Kuwabara added in a whisper as he looked over his shoulder to ensure that Kari hadn't heard them. The teen girl was still happily taking in the scenery and hopping closer and closer to the top of the stairs.

"Oh...yeah, I keep forgetting about that!" Yusuke laughed. Keiko sighed and continued up the stairs.

Kari's eyes widened in amazement at the sprawling temple that lay before her once she reached the top of the stairs and jogged through the temple gate. The temple itself was impressive but Kari was more thrilled with all the space in the yards surrounding it. Wide open spaces to run out all of her anxiety...and possibly have a few precious moments alone later. Kari grinned to herself and jogged forward, soaking up the warm spring day.

"Hm. Didn't anyone tell you it's rude to trespass?" Kari spun around to face the old Master Genkai herself.

"Oh! Sorry! Um, I'm with-"

"It's alright. I know your Keiko's friend. Kari, right?" Kari smiled and bowed to the old woman.

"You must be Master Genkai. Very nice to meet you and thank you for opening your home to me." Genkai smiled. The girl had manners.

"You are very welcome." Kari straightened and blew a lock of hair out her face before reaching back to tie it up in a ponytail.

"Master Genkai! We're back!" Keiko called as she and the two boys finally cleared the steps. Genkai waved back and called out her own greetings. She turned back to see Kari darting her head around to see all that the mountainside had to offer.

"You are free to walk the grounds all you like," Genkai offered and Kari perked up.

"Thank you!" Kari gushed, dropped her backpack, and turned to jog around the temple.

"Kari? Where are you going?" Keiko called as she pulled up to Genkai.

"Just looking around. I won't go far!" Kari called back before she was off around the corner of the temple and out of sight.

"Genkai, there aren't any demons close by, right?" Keiko asked worriedly. Genkai shook her head and smiled.

"Not any that would find interest in your friend." Keiko sighed in relief but Genkai continued. "You will have to tell her sooner or later, you know." Keiko looked to the master.

"Yeah," she agreed. "But for now, I'm just happy to have a normal friend for once."

Once Kari was sure her friends could no longer see her, she heaved out a big sigh of relief.

_Just a few minutes alone. Perfect. _Kari grinned and made for the low slung rope fence that marked the entrance to the woods. Slowly, Kari pulled her gloves from her hands and shoved them in the pocket of her shorts. She flexed her bare fingers and looked into the woods.

_Time to stretch_. Kari grinned and bolted into the trees, vaulting the rope in one swift leap. Now was her time to really relax and let loose like she couldn't back home. With astounding agility, Kari lept across trees roots and dove into one handed cartwheels and flips. These woods were great for a free run. Wolves and all.

Hiei was surveying the temple from a safe distance. Crouched on the branch of a tree, he had lowered his energy to avoid being detected. The last thing he wanted at the moment was to be approached by his friends. It's not that he didn't want to see them, not that he would ever admit it, but he just wanted to observe for a while.

He watched as Yusuke and Kurama, who had just made the trek up the winding stairs, exchanged hellos and saw Yukina and Keiko walking along the outer walkway of the temple while Kuwabara talked to them animatedly.

_Idiot,_ he thought. Yet, Yukina seemed happy and Hiei knew that Kuwabara would not treat her poorly. It had been two years since the end of the demon world tournament, but Hiei had still not informed Yukina that he was her brother. Yes, he would come to the human world every so often to check up on her but he was still not ready to be honest about who he was.

In truth, Hiei had returned to the human world not only to look after his sister, but out of sheer boredom. The two years he had spent on the border patrol was taxing. He longed to train alone, without his patrol group constantly pestering him about the weak humans he was forced to return home. Of course, he would have to return in a few months, but for now all he wanted was to be alone.

Just as he was thinking of finding a clearing to train in, a flash of energy shot through Hiei's mind and almost caused the demon to lose his hold on the tree branch he was perched on. Baffled, he looked for the source, scanning the trees around him.

_What the hell?_ The energy was not particularly strong or threatening. It wasn't demon at all but it also didn't feel completely human. To Hiei it felt almost...warm? Comforting? Even familiar? At that moment, Kari walked into his line of sight and Hiei's roaming crimson eyes landed on her. She was walking leisurely, loosening her hair from her ponytail to fly freely. As soon as he had her locked in his gaze, Kari's head also shot up, startled. In a mere moment, she spotted Hiei in the tree and their eyes locked, crimson and emerald clashing.

Hiei was completely confused now. _She's human_, he thought. The strange energy he sensed was radiating from her softly. Kari didn't look different than any other human to him. A basic shape, not too different from Yukina or Keiko, although more to Yukina's size. She wasn't thin nor fat, but Hiei could also tell that her muscles were not nearly as prominent as a demon's would have been. She had tensed when she caught sight of him and her hands were clenching and unclenching nervously at her sides. A breeze ruffled Kari's long, black tresses, blowing them across her face. _Definitely human, _Hiei thought as her scent reached him. Finally, he took in her eyes. Bright green in color, rare among humans and not common even among the apparitions, but there was more to those eyes. Hiei could not lay a finger on why those eyes were so captivating to him and he could not tear away from her unwavering gaze. A tingle worked down his spine, moving slowly from vertebrae to vertebrae and flooding his system with warmth. _What the fu-_

_**CRASH**__!_

Hiei nearly jumped at the sound. Quickly, he and Kari jerked their attention to the temple and the source of the sound.

"Oh...god," Kari gasped in shock. Hiei watched her start running for the temple...and straight into the horde of demons that were attacking.


	2. Chapter 2

Keiko was giggling at Kuwabara's attempts to woo his dear Yukina. Keiko wasn't sure if the ice maiden really understood Kuwabara's intentions, even after all these years, but Yukina was nothing if not caring and kind to the big, lovable oaf.

Happy to listen to the two babble on, mostly Kuwabara that is, Keiko felt a sense of contentment come over her. She had all of her friends here and she was glad. She felt so very sure that Kari would fit right in with their group.

_**CRASH!**_

The three jumped with a start and a horrified look came over Kuwabara's face. The sounds of a fight echoed around to the side of the temple they had been walking along.

"Get inside!" Kuwabara yelled before he bolted off to defend the temple and the people he cared for. Yukina obeyed quickly, moving through the doors and to the safety inside, but Keiko froze.

_Kari is still out there!_ she realized, suddenly terrified for her friend's well-being.

"Keiko, we need to get inside," Yukina said and tugged on the girl's elbow. Keiko yanked her arm away and ran to the corner of the temple where Kuwabara had just vanished.

"I'll be back! Just wait!" she cried as she turned the corner and entered hell.

Thirty? Fifty? A hundred? Kari didn't know where they all came from but demons were swarming the once peaceful mountain compound and they were out for blood.

_Demons! Demons here! _Kari's mind was in full panic mode as she ran for the temple, her interaction (if you could call it that) with the strange apparition in the trees pushed to the back of her mind. She had to protect her friends!

As Kari rounded the corner, where she could feel the most demon energy coming from, she slid to a halt at the scene before her. There were her friends, Yusuke and Kuwabara, fighting like mad men. Yusuke was punching and kicking his way through the horde, shouting insults and little quips as he fought. Kuwabara was the most shocking with a sword of glowing energy in his palms and he was steadily slicing his way through the crowd. A redhead Kari didn't recognize was making minced meat from the demons with a long green whip, not breaking a sweat. Finally, there was that odd demon Kari had seen in the woods and he was moving almost too fast for her to see, with a sword glinting in the sunlight. She felt a tingle run down her spine, just like a few moments ago when she had first spotted him. He glanced at her as he cut down another opponent, his face giving nothing away, before turning back to the fight. Her amazement was short lived as the reality of what was happening sank in.

"What the fuck is this?!" Kari cursed to herself, completely bewildered. She had always felt a unique energy from her friends but to see them fighting off these demons with such ease was not what she had expected. She watched for a few moments, dumbfounded, but her attention was soon caught by a scream coming from the stretch of temple to her right.

"Keiko!" Kari was off again, following the source of the sound. She skidded around a corner just in time to see a huge, bulky demon bearing down on her friend. Without thinking, Kari leapt for the demon's exposed back.

Keiko was in trouble. She was backed into a corner by one extremely pissed off and menacing demon. Her heart was thundering in her chest as the beast crept forward.

The demon was massive, towering to to at least ten feet tall, and its skin a grayish blue. It had a sickening grin and a mouth full of sharp fangs that would have been perfect for biting off poor Keiko's little human head.

"Mmm. Tasty, little human girl," the creature growled as it stalked its prey. The creature knew he should have been helping his comrades on their mission but this little human girl all alone had been too tempting. Keiko was about to let out another shrill cry for help when the demon suddenly pulled back, shouting in surprise.

"Run, Keiko!" Kari cried as she distracted the demon by covering its eyes and digging in her nails, blood gushing into her fingers. Keiko didn't need to be told twice. She picked herself up and bolted for the side of the temple where Yusuke and the others were fighting. She turned back to see Kari push herself off the demon's back, somersaulting in the air to land on her feet and run to catch up with her.

"Move it!" Kari urged as she pulled even with the girl. Keiko balked a little at her friend, who had demon blood dripping from her bare hands with no remorse. Together, the two ran for the safety of the group but they could hear the demon thundering behind them. And it was pissed.

"Kari. your hands?" Keiko tried as the bolted around one side of the temple. Regardless of the imminent peril of the demon stumbling about behind them, Keiko's mind was still processing that her friend not only didn't have her gloves on but that she had just defended Keiko against a demon with no sign of amazement.

"Not the best time for conversation, Keiko," Kari said and shot her friend a look.

The two girls were almost to the last corner they would need to turn before the boys would see them and come to their aid when Keiko's foot caught on a rock and sent the girl tumbling to the ground with a **thud!**

"Keiko!" Kari cried as she slid to a halt and turned to help her friend. The demon was barreling towards them, blinded by Kari's attack, and Keiko was once again stock still in fear. She was going to die. Keiko squeezed her eyes shut in anticipation of a pain that never came.

At the sound of an inhuman screech of agony, Keiko opened her eyes to see Kari fervently punching the demon over and over...her fists engulfed in bright red flames.

Kari didn't think before she acted, which was very unlike her. Most of the time she was very precise in her movements before she followed through. That was what made her such a great Parkour runner...and also what kept her ever present flames from bursting from her hands at a moments notice. However, with Keiko in danger, all precaution had flown from her thoughts and Kari simply attacked.

Leaping around Keiko, Kari felt the heat she knew so well flood her hands. Her flames licked her palms in a scorching blaze that didn't burn her but was definitely searing this demon with her every touch.

Swing, punch, dodge, repeat; the movements came naturally to Kari, regardless of her lack of martial arts training. Years of free running and watching others' techniques had prepared her enough to take down this large, slow demon.

The demon was too big and too surprised by the tiny human girl's sudden influx of power to defend or attack before Kari had burned away a good bit of skin and hair. Eventually, the demon did gather his resolve and swiped at Kari with a massive hand. Kari dodged but was thrown off balance. Thinking quickly, Kari flipped her legs over her head and slid into a crouch. The demon was ready, though. Two massive hands wrapped around Kari's upper body and hoisted her from the ground. The demon may have been blinded but he could still sense the little human enough to grab her. Kari struggled, her hands still flaming at her sides, but the demon didn't care. It laughed and opened its mouth wide to bite off Kari's head.

"Kari!" Keiko screamed out as the demon looked ready to devour the girl. Kari's body pulsed with energy and the demon dropped her with another painful shout, its hands blistered with the heat she was giving off. Kari wasted no time and hit the demon with a barrage of fire. She was so busy with the creature before her, Kari didn't notice when Yusuke and the group rounded the corner, ready to defend against the demon presence they felt. Nor were they ready to see Kari use a quick burst of fire, arcing across the yard in a long whip like movement, to decapitate the demon and end its life.

Panting, Kari turned away from the convulsing demon corpse and was greeted with amazed stares and dropped jaws. Yusuke and Kuwabara had, by far, the most confounded looks on their faces but Kurama and Genkai seemed floored as well. Hiei, too, stared wide eyed at the girl for a moment.

_She holds fire, _Hiei thought in astonishment. He felt that same tingle work down his spine but chose to ignore it._ Interesting, _Hiei gave a smug grin before vanishing. He could sense demons to the south and he needed to make sure they were captured. The girl would be there when he returned.

Kari watched Hiei vanish and then realized how uncomfortable the silence from her friends was. She spoke first.

"This was _not_ my idea of a relaxing weekend, guys." Kari gave a weak laugh and internally begged for someone to say something.

"Um...you're on uh...your hands?" Kuwabara ventured with a gesture to her form. Kari glanced down and to see the flames still licking across her palms.

"Yeah, they...do that...sometimes," Kari admitted sheepishly and shook her hands to dismiss the fire. "You guys are kinda...talented, too?" Kari said as she dug the white gloves out of her back pocket and pulled them back over her hands, suddenly self conscious. That's when Yusuke started cracking up.

"Oh my god! Did you see her take down that demon, Kuwabara? I knew you were one of us!" Yusuke laughed and shook his finger at Kari in a joking, knowing manner. That's when Kuwabara started to laugh, too, and just like that the tension was resolved.

Kari smiled and walked to her friends, feeling a little lighter now that she could be open with them for the first time. Even if it had been an accident. That's when Kari noticed that Keiko hadn't moved and that she was staring at the ground.

Worried that Keiko was hurt, Kari crouched down and tried to look into her eyes. "Keiko, you ok?" Keiko snapped her head up Kari balked at the glare in her eyes. Before Kari could ask what was wrong, Keiko had hauled her hand back and struck the girl full across the face. Kari rocked back and had to put her hand out to catch herself before she hit the ground.

"How could you?!" Keiko shouted before hauling herself up and running for the temple. Kari put a hand to her now aching face and stared after her friend who had vanished inside.

"Damn! You alright?" Yusuke leaned down and winced at the red hand print forming on Kari's cheek. Kari felt her chest hitch in despair and the ever present warmth spread throughout her body, a natural reaction to the feeling of sadness that was creeping into her heart. _Control,_ she thought as she let out a sigh and quelled the flames and her feelings. Kari looked up at Yusuke with a little hurt in her eyes and pulled herself from the ground.

"Yeah, I'm good...but that definitely was _not_ what I wanted to happen."

"Aw, Keiko will come around," Yusuke reassured Kari and put a hand on her bare shoulder only to yank back his hand with a pained yelp. Yusuke shook his singed hand out and fought back the tears welling in his eyes.

"Sorry! I'm…yeah, it's complicated but, uh…no touchy." Kari said in embarrassment as she took a step back and put her hands up. Kuwabara guffawed as Yusuke blew on his scalding hand in an attempt to make the pain go away.

"You look like you have a decent amount of control over your abilities." Kurama took the opportunity to step up and meet this new friend. Kari raised an eyebrow at the strange red head.

"Uh, I guess." Kari scratched the back of her head with one hand. "Sorry, who are you?" Kurama smiled softly and made a little bow.

"My name is Shuichi, but everyone here calls me Kurama." Kari gave a little wave in greeting, still not entirely trusting of someone new; especially someone with such strange energy like Kurama. Genkai chose this moment to speak up.

"Dimwit, if you are done being a cry baby, you all need to clean up this mess before we figure out why the hell a bunch of demons just randomly attacked us." the old woman croaked out. She turned an appraising eye to Kari. "Fire. Heh, how interesting." Kari looked back and forth between her friends and the old master.

_What have I gotten myself into?_

"So, how long have you been all...fired up?" Yusuke laughed at his own joke while he soaked his hand in a bowl of ice water. Kari rolled her eyes and groaned inwardly. Yusuke just thought he was so funny.

The group, consisting of Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, Genkai, and Yukina, looked at her expectantly.

"Um...forever? I guess?" Kari tried. She was not used to being the center of attention. In fact, she had spent the majority of her life staying out of the spotlight. "I was really young the first time my hands lit up and well….I dunno."

"And you know about demons?" Kurama interjected. Kari blinked at the red head.

"Well, yeah." The group looked to one another and Kari hastily continued. "I mean, I know demons exist and everything but I've only run into a few. Although, there have been a lot more around in the last few years." Kari mused.

"Oh, that's just because the barrier's been down for a while now," Yusuke said nonchalantly. Kari gave him a quizzical look.

"Barrier?" she asked, looking to each face for clarification.

"The barrier between the living world, our world, and the demon world." Kurama added and Kari nodded in understanding.

"Ah. Ok, that makes sense. Is that why you're in the human world, Yukina?" Kari asked as she smiled at the ice apparition. The two may have just met but Kari already liked Yukina's sweet nature and welcoming personality.

"Yes, that's right. I've been staying with Genkai since just a little while before the barrier came down." Yukina said and returned the girl's smile.

"Cool." Kari said and then turned back to Kurama. "So, why did all those demons just attack?"

"Probably trying to kill me, as usual." Yusuke said as he picked at his ear with his free hand, completely unfazed. "Most of them are probably still pissed about the tournament and Enki being in charge." Kari was even more confused so Kurama, once again clarified.

"Yusuke helped to organize a tournament a few years ago to decide who would rule the demon world. Enki, the winner, is the current ruler."

"Ah, so...Yusuke's a demon?" Kari asked and cocked her head to the side.

"Hm...I guess so." Yusuke mused. "I mean, I died and came back. Then I died again and came back again and I had all these demon powers and I went to demon world so…"

"Oh, well that just makes perfect sense, Yusuke." Kari deadpanned. _Idiot, _she thought and stood up, this new information becoming a little overwhelming. Yusuke and Kuwabara having powers was one thing, but to know Yusuke was a demon, too? "I should really check on Keiko. She probably has some questions for me, too. 'Scuse me."

Before anyone could say otherwise, Kari scurried from the room and went in search of Keiko. Yusuke looked confused and Kuwabara just crossed his arms.

"That was real smooth, Urameshi." the carrot top commented. Yusuke growled.

"Well, you didn't really step up with any information!"

"Oh, shut up." Genkai interrupted and sipped her tea. "Kari just needs a few minutes to process everything. She is probably just as shocked by your powers as we are by her's." Kurama nodded his agreement.

"She did bring up a good point, though. Why did those demons attack? Especially here." The group had no answers and a feeling of unease settled over them.

It was rather fortuitous that Koenma and Botan came bolting in at this moment, obviously panicked.

"Yusuke, demons are coming to kill you!" Koenma cried and blanched at the groups otherwise unfazed looks. The moment of silence was cut by Yusuke.

"Ha! Fucking called it!" Koenma dropped to the floor in exasperation as Yusuke grinned.

"Idiot,"Genkai grumbled and took another sip of tea.

Their peaceful lives were about to become very interesting again.


	3. Chapter 3

The few demons who escaped Genkai's compound had returned to their hide out in the demon world. Cut, bloody, bruised, but still alive, the three demon leaders knew they would have to explain to their boss what had happened.

A large demon with the head of a lion stood over the cowering lesser demons. His dark green cloak draped his large shoulders but still opened enough to show off his strong, man like chest. His legs were hidden beneath his loose belted trousers and tall, black boots.

"What do you mean, you did not end the Spirit Detective's life?" the demon growled, his voice a gravelly baritone, and tossed his great mane of auburn hair. His massive paws clenched at his sides; his eyes, a deceivingly warm honey brown, were clouded with anger.

"Sir, it wasn't our-ah!" the demon who had been trying to explain screamed in agony as the lion demon sliced clean through his head with a long, thin blade pulled from his hip. The other two demons bowed even deeper and silently prayed for their lives. The lion demon sighed and sheathed his blade.

"You," he pointed to one of the sniveling demons. "Tell me what happened." The snake demon turned his blue head up and gulped, yellow eyes shining with terror.

"There were too many of them, sir. We were not expecting Kurama the fox demon and Hiei, from Mukuro's camp, to be there." The lion demon scowled and turned his back on the two in disgust. He would have to come up with another plan since these fools couldn't handle his dirty work.

"And that human girl with the fire! She killed Tsume!" The lion jerked his attention back to the two demons.

"What?!" he roared, the rafters above him quaking from the outburst and raining dust down on the three. The two demons cowered once again. "Tell me! What human girl? Are you sure it was fire?" The second demon, also a snake but with green skin, turned his head up.

"Yes, sir. She was definitely human and she wielded fire in the palms of her hands."

"I didn't even know humans could do such a thing!" The other demon added and the two nodded their heads in unison, trying to appease their master.

The lion stroked his chin with one massive paw and looked pensive for a moment. Finally, he grinned and looked down on the two demons.

"You, my lads, have brought me some great intel. For that, I will let you live but you will never speak of this human girl. To anyone, understand?" The two demons nodded fervently. "Now, go." The demons looked to each other in relief and bowed deeply before scurrying out the door. The lion wasted no time in gathering his things. He had an important demon to call upon.

_He is going to be so pleased with this news,_ the demon thought as his mind rolled in images of the golden rewards he was sure to receive for news of this human girl.

Kari stood before Keiko's door, hesitant to knock. Keiko had already slapped Kari across the face once and while the physical pain had long subsided, the emotion and anger behind it still lingered. Fear of rejection, of Keiko retracting her friendship forever, sent a flood of heat to her hands and through her chest.

_I have to try, _Kari resolved. With a deep breath, she raised a gloved hand and rapped three times on the door frame. "Keiko? You in there?" she asked. A beat. Two. Kari decided to peek her head in anyway. Slowly, she cracked the door open and looked into the room. Keiko was lying on the futon with her back to the door.

"Keiko? Can I come in?" Kari asked softly. Keiko shifted slightly on the bed so Kari took the liberty of entering the room completely. She rolled the door closed and sat down on the edge of the futon.

"Look, I understand you must be mad that I didn't tell you about the whole fire thing but-"

"I'm not mad you didn't tell me! I'm mad that, once again, I am the odd one out!" Keiko suddenly bolted upright and startled Kari. "Everyone here has some special power or ability and I- urgh!" Keiko flopped back and shoved a pillow over her face. "I just thought you were like me."

"Hey," Kari lied down alongside her friend, propping herself on her left forearm, and poked at the pillow. "you really think you aren't special?" Keiko sighed and flipped the pillow onto the floor.

"But Keiko, your colors are...odd." Keiko glanced at her friend in confusion.

"Colors?"

"Yeah, your colors. I think it's called an aura. Your's is very bright. I thought you could at least sense spirit energy or something." Keiko scowled, still frustrated regardless of her friend's statement.

"Well, I can't shoot fire from my hands or use the spirit gun or-"

"Spirit gun?" Kari interrupted with a cocked eyebrow.

"Yeah, that's Yusuke's big attack. He shoots some kind of energy from his finger." Kari tried to suppress a smile but still let out a little giggle. Keiko looked baffled at her friend for a moment until she realized Kari was thinking something dirty. "Oh, you are so gross!" Keiko laughed as she grabbed the pillow and smacked her friend across the head. Kari let out her peals of laughter at that point and tossed her arms up to defend herself. The tension was gone but Keiko paused when she saw the white gloves.

"So, I guess I get the whole glove thing now," she sighed and sat back, feeling defeated again. Kari's laughter halted and she looked down at her own hand.

"Yeah, they help with the whole….phwoosh," Kari wiggled her fingers in time with the sound. "Gran actually suggested them when I was about 9 years old. After I burnt her antique coffee table." Kari gave a sheepish grin and scratched the back of her head.

"Are they magic or something?" Keiko asked as she looked closer at the gloves.

"No, they are just normal gloves. They just kinda remind me to keep control." Kari said as she fiddled with a loose string on a finger. "I have to be really careful."

"All the time?" Keiko asked as she scooted closer to her friend. Kari muttered a "yeah" and the two were silent. It was at that moment, Keiko realised just how afraid Kari was. Not only of losing her friendship but also of the idea that she could hurt someone. Keiko took a deep breath and put her hand over Kari's gloved one.

"I'm sorry I slapped you." Kari looked to her friend, green eyes filled with uncertainty. Keiko smiled and continued. "I shouldn't have and there is no excuse for it. You are my friend and I don't care if you can shoot fire or fly or... turn into a dragon or whatever!" Kari cocked a grin.

"I wish! Dragons are so cool!" she laughed and Keiko joined right along with her. Keiko was silently grateful that her friend could be so forgiving. She knew she wouldn't trade Kari's companionship for a hundred "normal" girls.

"If you like dragons, you should talk to Hiei. He has this really scary attack that has something to do with a dragon. Although, he isn't really the social type." Keiko said. Kari's laughter halted.

"Who's Hiei?" Kari asked as she swiped some hair from her eyes.

"Oh, he's one of Yusuke's friends. He's a demon but he's gotten Yusuke out of some tight spots before." Keiko answered.

"Is he the one with the really spiky hair and the red eyes?" Kari asked. An image of the demon in the trees flashed into her mind and an echo of the feeling that came when their eyes had locked reverberated down her spine.

"Yeah, that's him. How did you know?" Keiko asked and blinked.

"Oh, I saw him outside." Kari waved it off and hastily changed the subject. "So, Yusuke hasn't offered to train your spirit awareness?" Keiko cocked an eyebrow.

"I don't have spiritual awareness." Kari grinned and leaned in.

"Sure you do! The way your energy is, you really shouldn't have any issues at least sensing energies. I can help you," Kari offered. Keiko's face split into a huge grin.

"Oh my god! You really think so?"

Kari never got a chance to reply because, at that moment, Botan came bursting into the room.

"Keiko! Oh, it's so great to see you again!" the grim reaper bolted onto the futon and Kari barely had time to dive out of the way before Botan ran her over. Keiko choked out a "Hey, Botan!" from the confines of the hug Botan had locked her in. Kari cast a bewildered glance at the blue haired deity and then back to Keiko.

"Uh, Botan, this is my friend. Kari," Keiko finally choked out. Botan turned to see Kari sitting on the floor and her smile brightened into at least 100 watts.

"Oh, Kari! Yes, you must be the one with the fire powers! I'm Botan, pilot of the River Styx and Grim Reaper to the Spirit world. It's such a delight to meet you!" Kari gave a little wave and Keiko nearly burst out laughing at her friend's befuddled look. Botan continued to babble on about why she was there and how she would be staying for a time.

_This is the grim reaper?_ Kari thought to herself. _Good grief, she is super peppy._

"So, do we know who wants me dead?" Yusuke asked Koenma, who had taken a seat at the low table. Koenma sighed and placed his head in hands.

"I don't have enough intel to know who ordered the attacks but you guys were not the only ones. I have been informed that Mukuro's camp was attacked, too. As well as some of Raizen's friends."

"They certainly thought all this out," Kurama mused."Probably trying to take out the most powerful demons before the tournament next year."

"That was my thought, too," Koenma admitted.

"Ok, well Koenma can keep looking for who's behind all this and then we just go kick his ass. Case closed." Yusuke gloated. Koenma sighed and stood up.

"Yusuke, I can't help you this time. I'm not even supposed to be here." Koenma dropped his head, saddened that he couldn't really help his friends. Yusuke growled and made to retort but Kurama interrupted him before he could verbally lash out at the spirit prince.

"That will be quite alright. I'm sure the border patrol has already been informed and they can take things from here." Kurama offered Koenma a sincere smile.

"Kurama is right."

The group jumped as Hiei appeared in the doorway. "I contacted the border patrol not far from here. They have already apprehended a few of the demons who attacked. They will have answers soon."

"Well, about time you came back, shorty!" Kuwabara shrieked.. Hiei cocked an eyebrow and smirked cruelly.

"In case you haven't noticed, I am as tall as Yusuke now." Kuwabara blinked and looked between Hiei and Yusuke. It was true, Hiei had gotten much taller. So tall in fact that he appeared to have ditched his cloak completely and now was only wearing a sleeveless black shirt, black pants, and two white belts. "Of course, I can't really blame you for not noticing. You do live in a moronic, 'la-la' land." Taller, yes; nicer, not so much.

"In any case," Genkai jumped in before Kuwabara and Hiei could have it out, "we should reinstate the barrier wards around the temple." The group nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, especially with Keiko and Yukina here." Yusuke added and Kuwabara gave him a puzzled look.

"Hey! What about Kari?!" Kuwabara shouted. Hiei shifted his eyes to Kuwabara at the mention of the girl. A memory of the tingle echoed down his spine.

"Oh, please! Kari can take care of herself! I mean, did you _see_ what she did to that demon?" Yusuke said as he threw his head back and laughed.

"Oh, yeah," Kuwabara muttered. "I guess she is pretty much one of the guys, huh?"

"I hope the both of you remember that_ I am_ a girl," Kari growled as she entered the room, Keiko and Botan on her heels. Yusuke took on a cheeky grin and leaned forward.

"What? Were your 'ears burning', Kari?" Yusuke laughed again at his own joke and Kari pushed a gloved palm to her forehead.

_I will never hear the end of these stupid fire puns, will I_? she thought, exasperated. Today had been long enough without Yusuke's stupid jokes.

It was at that moment Kari noticed Koenma staring at her, his jaw practically on the floor. "Um...hi?" she tried.

Koenma's heart was thumping madly at this exquisite woman before him. Those big, green eyes; that lush, curly black hair; those legs that seemed to go on for miles. Koenma felt a blush rush to his cheeks as Kari turned her eyes on him. To him, she seemed to glow and those eyes sparkled like the sea at dawn.

"Er...um…" Koenma bowed quickly at the waist, taking a second to stash his pacifier in a pocket, and then popped back up with an air of sophistication. "I am Koenma, Prince of the Spirit World. I am very cool," he said and brushed away his bangs before casting a supposedly sexy grin at the girl.

"Uh huh. I'm Kari," she replied with a cocked eyebrow and a little wave. "You...um...you have spittle on your chin," she said while pointing a gloved finger at her own chin. Koenma blushed again and wiped fervently at his face while the group fell into laughter. Koenma was so embarrassed that he decided to mutter his goodbyes and make a hasty retreat while he still had some dignity.

As Koenma bolted out the door, Kari could finally see past where he had been standing and straight into Hiei's blazing red eyes. The tingle she had felt when she first spotted him in the trees once again worked its way down her spine.

_It's that demon again. _she thought as she felt the world slip away and all that was left was she and Hiei in a void of darkness. She could feel how strong he was, stronger than any demon she had yet to face, but her attention focused in on his right arm. _The energy on his arm is different. _She could see an aura, black like a moonless night, pulsing around that arm. However, for how dark that aura seemed, Kari was not afraid but instead felt a pull towards that arm and the bizarre energy.

Little did she know that Hiei was having a similar experience. A tingle, exactly as before, had shivered down his spine as well the moment their eyes had locked.

_What the hell is with this human?,_ Hiei growled mentally as he took in her form. She did not look any different than most humans but something about her eyes made him uneasy. They just looked...wrong. And what was with that stupid tingle?!

Kari furrowed her brow in concentration.

_Keiko said his name was…_

"Hiei," the world came crashing back in as Kari muttered the demon's name under her breath. Hiei stiffened and glared at the girl. The way she said his name sent a ripple through him and he felt a warmth pulse through his body. Kari jumped as Keiko placed a hand on her shoulder and turned to her friend. "Huh?"

"You weren't listening? Genkai was asking if we wanted to stay here for the summer break," Keiko said with a little smile. Kari blinked and turned to her friends, all of whom were staring at her.

"Oh, uh…" Kari turned back to where Hiei had been but the demon was gone. "Where did...wait, what?" Kari looked back to Keiko in confusion, the thoughts of her short moment with Hiei gone from her mind. "The _whole_ summer?"

"Yes," croaked Genkai from her seat. "With all the demon activity going on, it would be safest here for everyone. Even you."

"Um, thank you, Genkai, but I couldn't possibly stay the whole summer. I mean, what about my gram?" Kari looked to Keiko pointedly.

"Well, she let you come this weekend. Why not?" Kuwabara asked as he scratched his head.

"My gram is no spring chicken, Kuwabara." Kari deadpanned and shook her black curls from her shoulders, a habit for when she got flustered. Yusuke just waved his hand as if to dismiss the notion.

"Come on. I bet your gram can find someone else to heat up her bath water for a few weeks." Kari growled and narrowed her eyes at the ex-detective with his stupid, cheeky grin.

"You ever gonna stop with the jokes, Yusuke?"

"Only when they cease to be funny!" Kari sighed and pushed her hair from her face with one hand and placed the other on her hip. She could feel the heat blooming in her chest. Kari took a deep breath, resolving her control.

"I'll talk to her," Kari grumbled in defeat. The group set forth with making arrangements to spiritually fortify the temple while Kari excused herself to call her gram.

The night air was warm, a sign of the coming summer. Kari took another deep breath and walked a few feet from the temple. She wanted to be far enough from the temple that her friends wouldn't butt in on her conversation with her gram. She was also taking the time it took to walk to the edge of the forest, the same place she had entered into the dense foilage earlier that afternoon, to figure out what she was going to say to her gram. Kari dug her phone out of her pocket and tapped it against her forehead, trying to come up with a way to break to her gram that her friends knew about her abilities. In fact, Kari was so preoccupied with the conversation she was about to have that she completely missed the small post sticking out of the ground. With a yelp, Kari tripped forward but caught herself; too bad she couldn't catch her phone. The girl juggled the device, bent at the waist and balancing on one leg, for a second before it slipped out of her grasp. But it never hit the ground.

Kari blinked as a bandaged hand appeared in her line of sight, grasping her phone. She felt the tingle from before trapeze its now usual path down her back and her eyes followed the length of that muscled arm up to broad shoulders, a strong chin, and a pair of very red eyes.

Kari felt her breathing still and her heart start thumping in her chest. This demon, this 'Hiei', was certainly not the first demon Kari had ever met but he was, by far, the most intriguing. Slowly, Kari straightened up, never breaking eye contact. He looked to be waiting for her to say something.

"Um...that's my phone." Ok, that was the lamest thing she could have ever said. Hiei cocked an eyebrow and extended the hand with the phone out to her. Kari looked to his hand and then back to his eyes.

"Thanks," she said slowly as she took the offered device. Hiei stayed silent and Kari, never good in an awkward situation, made the mistake to keep talking.

"It's, uh, warm tonight?" she tried. Hiei just kept staring and Kari felt herself blush and heat swarm to her hands. "I'm Kari," she said with a little wave. "Well, Karina but everyone just calls me Kari," she amended and brushed some hair from her face. "You're Hiei, right?"

"That's right."

Kari was a little shocked that he had responded at all. From the look on his face, he obviously thought she was a moron.

"Well, uh, it's nice to meet you. I, um….need to make a call so…" Kari smiled a little and turned to walk away. She gasped when Hiei reappeared right in front of her. Befuddled, Kari looked back to where he had been standing only a moment ago to where he stood now.

"How did you do that?" she asked, eyes wide. Hiei smirked and began to slowly walk around her, looking her up and down.

His first impression of her, from the tree in the woods, had been mostly right; and his short interaction inside the temple had allowed him to take in more of her features. Now, however, Hiei could really see her.

She was definitely human and ,even he had to admit, she wasn't ugly. Maybe even a bit pretty. As far as humans went. Her shorts displayed her long, toned legs; perfect for running and fighting. He followed them up to the curve of her hips and flat stomach. Even through her the material of her tank top he could tell that she was toned and fit. She obviously exercised regularly. He took in her arms; also strong but her hands were hidden beneath her white gloves.

"Were you a vulture in another life or something?" Hiei jerked his gaze to her pale, round face and her irritated green eyes. Those eyes could rival Kurama's in color but the expression in them...Hiei had never seen such eyes. "Stop with the circling, alright? You're freakin' me out." Hiei smirked.

"You will be spending some time here?" Kari cocked an eyebrow at the question.

"Maybe," she tried. Hiei smirked and moved so that he was towering over her.

"For someone who can take down a demon three times her size, you are not very graceful." he said. Kari balked and then growled, stepping around him. . With a challenging look over her shoulder, she sprang into a one handed cartwheel and pushed into a back handspring before moving into a handstand on one hand. She glared at Hiei from her upside position.

"This 'graceful' enough for you?" she asked sarcastically and pulled herself to standing.

"Hn. Any human can do some stupid tricks." Hiei crossed his arms. "You lack control. You are weak."

Kari bristled at his comment. First he was looking at her like she had three heads and now he was insulting her. True, she had not really exercised her powers but she at least had the brains to try to keep herself from setting everything on fire.

"Well, that is unbelievably rude," she ground out, trying to maintain some dignity, and pushed herself back to standing. She wasn't sure if she wanted to piss this demon off or not but she did know that she wasn't going to stand there and be insulted by this jerk who looked like punk rock star wannabe, with his crazy spiky hair and black ensemble. Heat flooded into her hands and her gloves began to smoke. Kari didn't want to admit it but Hiei was right. She lacked control. "Whatever. Nobody asked you anyway." Her tone was flippant but Hiei's grin grew as she stalked back towards the temple. He could feel her energy growing, the heat coming from her; all from that one statement.

"You would be wise to spend time here." Kari glanced back over her shoulder briefly but did not say anything. Hiei leapt into the trees and watched as she walked back to the temple and slammed the door behind her.

_Looks like I won't be bored for long, _he thought as he settled into the branches.

_She is not weak_. Hiei blinked as an unfamiliar voice whispered through his mind, so low and growly that he almost didn't catch it. He didn't sense anyone else nearby. So where had the voice come from? Hiei growled and settled his back against the tree trunk. It was just a stupid thought and he didn't need to concern himself.

Kari stalked into the room Yukina had set up for her, slammed the door, and flopped down onto the futon without turning on the light. Not that she needed it. She peeled off her half burnt glove from her left hand and ,instantly, a ball of fire flickered in her palm.

_Stupid demon, making me all mad. Asshole,_ she thought bitterly as she caused the flames to dance through her fingers like a burning ribbon. Kari sighed and punched in her grandmother's number with her right hand. It was late but her gram was a night owl. Kari was looking into the flames in her hand when her gram answered.

"If this is a call for me to come get you, you can forget about it," the old woman grumped through the phone.

"That happened one time! And I was ten!" Kari half laughed, causing the flames to jump and spark with her sudden delight. She may have still been pissed but speaking to the old woman always brought a glint of happiness. Her gram laughed through the phone.

"What's on your mind? Is everything alright?" Kari smiled. Her gram was tough but she knew when Kari needed her.

"Yeah, Im fine. I just...uh. Well, I just needed to talk to you about something."

"Did you set something on fire?" Kari quelled the flames in her hand at the question. The room settled into darkness and Kari could feel the apprehension that had been following her throughout her entire life start to settle on her again. She took a deep breath and brought a small flame to her index finger. She smiled as the little light flickered in the darkness.

"Yeah...but it was a good thing."

As Kari explained what had happened that day, demons and all, she started to feel a bit like that little flame on her finger tip. She was finally coming out of the darkness of self doubt and fear and, hopefully, into a bright new world where she wouldn't have to hide anymore.


	4. Chapter 4

George the Ogre was concerned. His boss, Prince Koenma of the Spirit World, had obviously taken ill. Koenma had been completely out of it since he had returned from his emergency trip to the human world. Constantly releasing wistful sighs, a glazed look in the eye, and he looked flushed all the time now. Even now, as they were waiting for an audience with King Yama to discuss Koenma's disobedience in going to see Yusuke, the Spirit Prince was staring off into space with a very strange smile.

_He must have caught some strange sickness in the human world, _George pondered, secretly hoping what Koenma had contracted was not contagious. Little did he know, Koenma had caught a bug of some sort. The love bug.

The spirit prince had spent the last two days consumed with thoughts of Kari. Even though he had only seen her for a moment, he had been overcome with just how breathtaking she was. Her slender form had oozed grace and beauty. Those big green eyes in that pale face, framed by those luscious black curls. Koenma was still giggling to himself, fantasizing about the lovely Kari batting her lashes at him flirtatiously before leaning into him for a kiss, when Ayame came to usher him inside his father's dismal throne room.

George crawled in on his belly, staying low to the ground to appear insignificant and subservient. Koenma waltzed in on his toddler legs and made a small, hasty bow. Very unlike how he usually addressed his father.

"Hi, Dad," he sighed, still lost in his daydream. King Yama frowned from his throne.

"You seem awfully at ease concerning why you are here, my son," King Yama's voice boomed in the tiny room. Koenma didn't even jump.

"Yes, dad. I know what I did was wrong but...it was a very fortuitous escapade to the human world." Koenma chirped with stars in his eyes. King Yama furrowed his brow.

"Warning that boy, your ex-spirit detective, about matters that do not concern us was 'fortuitous'?" Koenma blushed and let out a small giggle, which only fueled King Yama's frustration. "What exactly were you thinking? What is wrong with you?!" the spirit king demanded. Koenma sighed and looked up into his father's strong face.

"Dad...I think I am in love," Koenma gushed as hearts pounded in his eyes. "A girl, a human girl, has stolen my heart."

"You are in love with a human girl?" King Yama was certainly not happy to hear this. While falling in love with a demon would be far worse, a human was still not an ideal match for his heir. However, Koenma's next words stopped King Yama's on coming protests.

"She isn't _just_ a human, dad. She is gifted, special. She can wield fire." King Yama, who was always in control and never surprised, found himself still with astonishment. As Koenma prattled on and on about Kari and her loveliness, King Yama's mind was spinning with this tidbit of information.

_A human with an affinity for fire? It cannot be, _the king mused. Perhaps he should not dismiss Koenma's infatuation so easily. Maybe he could even encourage such a match. A human with the power of controlling fire? If his hunch was correct, a union between this girl and his son could open doors for many more opportunities.

"Keiko is doing what?!"

Kari flopped back against the cushions of Genkai's sofa, exasperated. It had been nearly two weeks since the girl had last been to the old psychic's home and while she was looking forward to the summer here, Yusuke's screeching was turning the feeling sour.

The entire group was there. Well, almost. While Kurama and Kuwabara had ridden the train with them, Hiei had still not made an appearance, which was just fine with her.

"Training. With me. What's so hard about that?" Kari repeated again, enunciating her words, and returned the glare the half demon was currently throwing at her. "Master Genkai promised to help."

"That's what I am most freakin' concerned about!" Yusuke raved. "I still have nightmares about the training that old witch put me through."

"You needed the scare tactics, dimwit. Keiko isn't nearly as hard headed as you are." Genkai replied from her seat at the low table, cup of tea in hand.

"Do you really think Kari and Genkai would try to hurt me, Yusuke?" Keiko added in her defense from her seat by Kari. "I want to learn. I-" Keiko glanced over to Kari, who offered an assuring grin. "I want to contribute."

Yusuke groaned and hung his head in defeat. He knew he couldn't fight with Keiko when she set her mind to something. Kuwabara laughed and patted Yusuke on the back with one broad hand.

"Come on, Urameshi. I mean, Kari said it herself that Keiko has some kind of spiritual awareness. She might as well learn to use it." Yusuke popped his head back up and glared at his friend.

"Yeah and that's another thing! Why is this just now being discussed?! Keiko sure didn't exhibit any powers a few years ago!" And they were back to the screeching.

"Keiko's spiritual growth over time has probably been due to her close contact with all of us over the years," Kurama explained leisurely from his chair across the room. "Our energies have nurtured her's ,so to speak; causing it to grow. Her spirit energy has certainly flourished even more since you have returned to the human world, Yusuke."

"So...I am the reason?" Yusuke paled. The group laughed at the ex-detective's damper mood.

"It doesn't matter why Keiko's spirit energy has increased. She needs to learn control," Genkai responded. "You need more control, too," she added with a pointed look to Kari.

"I know, I know." Kari replied as she picked at her gloved hand, nonchalantly. "I will train myself after I work with Keiko."

"And who are you going to train with?" Genkai pushed.

"Um...myself?" Kari tried with a cocked eyebrow. "I've always worked on honing my powers alone. Besides, you guys aren't exactly fireproof."

"You really should have one of us oversee your training, Kari," Kurama interjected. Kari looked to the demon with a gleam of panic in her eyes. As she felt the heat bloom in her chest and hands, she steeled herself. She had feared her friends would try to get involved with her working out her powers. Thankfully, she had figured out a way to deter their involvement; but, she wasn't going to like doing this.

"Any of you ever train with a human who can do this?" Kari challenged as she ripped off a glove and brought a ball of fire, raging and red, into her hand. Her friends looked on amazed and little uncomfortable as the flame spun and grew, the heat coming from it blistering. Keiko and Yukina visibly flinched away from the flame. Good, that's what Kari was aiming for. "I understand that you guys want to help," Kari sighed as she dismissed the flame and replaced her glove. "but I won't be responsible for hurting any of you. I can do this on my own." Kari stood and moved to leave, signaling that she no longer wished to discuss the matter.

"Very well, Kari." The girl looked back over her shoulder to Genkai. "We will be leaving at dawn. You, me, and Keiko."

Kari merely nodded her response, maintaining her strong stance, and left for her own room, rolling the door closed behind her. The group was silent for a moment. Yusuke was the first to speak.

"Tch. She didn't have to be such a bitch about it," he griped with crossed arms and a tick in his eye.

"I wish we could help. She just looks so….afraid." Keiko murmured and Yukina nodded her agreement. "Genkai, isn't there someone you know who has powers like Kari?" The old master shook her head 'no.'

"Kari's abilities are very unique," Kurama said and the grouped turned to him. "In all my life as a demon, I have never heard of a human controlling fire. It is beyond rare."

"But, we've seen demons before with fire powers. Like Hiei and that Zeru guy from the Dark Tournament," Kuwabara reasoned with one hand on his chin in a pondering stance.

"Even control over heat energy among apparitions can be rare." Kurama countered.

"So….Kari is completely alone on this?" Kuwabara asked. Kurama nodded and the group once again dissolved into silence. Each member trying their best to find a way to help their friend in her quest for control.

As the group moved on to lighter topics, Kurama, too, excused himself for some fresh air. He rolled the door shut behind him, blocking out the sound of his friends, and trekked across the yard towards the trees. With a grin, he looked up into the tree and spotted Hiei.

"Didn't want to come inside, Hiei?" Kurama inquired. Hiei was lounging up in the branches with his back leaning against the trunk. He was dressed in his usual black ensemble, minus the cloak, making him almost impossible to discern from a distance.

"I am more than capable of hearing Yusuke and Kuwabara's nonsense from here," the demon retorted, not bothering to open his eyes. Kurama let out a soft chuckle and turned to lean against the tree.

"I was sure you would have returned to demon world by now. What could possibly be keeping you here?" Kurama glanced at Hiei and noticed that the demon had stiffened and was now looking into the forest. His red eyes were shining in the dark like two glistening rubies.

"I'm sure you know, Kurama. Don't play coy with me," the demon growled, causing Kurama to smile in the moonlight.

"Oh. Well, I admit, Kari's power is fascinating. Have you ever seen another human with the power of fire?"

"No and that is precisely why you should be more concerned. That girl is more dangerous than you think."

"I'm sure with more training she will be in complete control." Kurama grinned wickedly as a brilliant idea formed in his mind. "It's too bad none of us can help her. You know, since we don't know anything about training with fire." Kurama smirked and pushed himself from the tree. He could feel Hiei's glare on his back as he waltzed back to the temple. With any luck, Kurama had struck a chord.

It was the official first day of summer vacation and the sun had barely risen over the horizon. Students in the city were still sound asleep with visions of days spent at the beach and arcade dancing across their dreams. Kari was not so fortunate. There she sat at Genkai's table, head down and ponytail flopped to one side.

_This is an ungodly hour_, Kari thought bitterly as she listened to Keiko pour herself and Kari some coffee. It had taken all of her will to drag herself from her bed and throw on a blue tanktop and a pair of black running shorts. At that moment, Botan decided to appear.

"Good morning, everyone!" she called happily as she bounced into the kitchen, still in her bright pink pajamas and hair curlers. Clearly the morning was Botan's time to shine. Kari groaned and placed her gloved hands over her ears. "What's wrong, Kari? Are you alright?" Botan asked worriedly. Keiko laughed lightly as she placed the mugs on the table.

"Kari isn't much of an early bird," the brunette replied for her friend.

"Wakey wakey!" Yusuke called obnoxiously as he, Kuwabara, and Genkai entered the kitchen. The boys were dressed in t-shirts and pajama pants while Genkai sported her usual training attire. Kari squirmed in her seat and grumbled into the table top. "What's that? You say something?" Yusuke asked with a cheeky grin as he leaned over the table.

Kari popped her head up, eyes filled with irritation, and intended to lash out at Yusuke verbally for being a loud mouth when Hiei entered the kitchen, followed by Kurama. The tingle that accompanied Hiei's entrance rolled down her spine and Kari just flopped her head back on the table, avoiding meeting the demon's gaze. She would never admit it but she had spent a lot of the last two weeks thinking about her brief exchange with the demon. There was something about him that just had her entirely rattled.

_It's too early for this shit_, she thought miserably.

"Eat quickly. We are leaving in fifteen minutes," Genkai said as she poured her own cup of coffee. "Keiko, Kari, we will be training on the other side of the forest so I suggest you wear comfortable shoes."

"Haha! Sucks to be you!" Yusuke chortled with glee as he slung an arm around Kuwabara. Kari glared at him.

"Why are you even awake, you dolt?"

"What and miss you leaving with Grandma to get your ass kicked all day? Me and Kuwabara here are gonna spend the whole day playing video games and eating junk food, but you ladies have fun working hard with the old bat." Yusuke and Kuwabara whooped their delight and high fived. Kari glared at the two.

"I'm just helping Keiko train, moron. Genkai's not working on my abilities, remember?" Kari sneered and finally took a big gulp of her coffee. It was black, scalding hot, and perfect. Too bad half of it came flying from between her lips.

"You will still be honing your own powers, Kari." Cue the spit take. Kari coughed as her coffee tried to go down the wrong tube. She turned wild eyes on the old psychic.

"Genkai!" Kari rasped out as she wiped coffee from her chin. " Do you not recall the whole 'fire burns people'/'you guys _aren't_ fire-proof' conversation from the last night?" Genkai crossed her arms and stared down the sputtering girl.

"You have a very powerful affinity that you need to get a better control over it." Kari flinched at her harsh tone but stood her ground.

"Yeah, I get that but-"

"I'll train her." The whole group turned to the source of the voice: Hiei. Kari blinked several times as she stared baffled at the demon, leaning against the counter as if he was too cool to sit at the table like everyone else. He had his eyes locked on Kari and the attention made her fidget uncomfortably. She could feel the heat swarming into her hands and it took all of her control not to let the flames burst forth.

"Say what?!" Kuwabara screeched, breaking the silence.

"Actually, that might work," Kurama added, eyeing his friend and holding back a smile. "Hiei is a fire demon. The likelihood of Kari burning him is almost non-existent." Kari blinked a few times as she processed this new information.

_Fire demon? I guess that might explain the stupid tingly feeling,_ Kari reasoned as she looked between Kurama and Hiei. She took a breath and put her hands up.

"Um...thanks, but really, I'm good on my own," Kari tried to laugh the awkwardness away but Hiei's gaze just intensified.

"Hn. We'll start as soon as you are done with Genkai," Hiei replied and left the room, hands in his pockets. Kari felt her jaw drop at his complete disregard for how she felt about the situation. The whole room turned pitying eyes on her and the girl dropped her head back to the table in defeat.

_God, I should have stayed home._

The sun had risen over the mountain by the time Genkai, Keiko, and Kari reached their destination. Keiko wiped some sweat from her brow as they entered a meadow on the other side of Genkai's forest.

"You weren't kidding about comfortable shoes, Genkai," Keiko commented as she leaned against a tree to catch her breath. Kari, on the other hand, had darted ahead of her friend and the old psychic with exuberance. Keiko rolled her eyes, a little jealous that Kari could still have enough energy to be doing back handsprings across the meadow after their hike.

"You'll get stronger the more we come to train," Genkai replied. "Kari! Stop goofing around and get back here!" Kari laughed and continued her tumbling and flipping back to the duo, landing gracefully on her feet and sinking to the ground with her legs crossed. Genkai rolled her eyes as she and Keiko took a seat as well.

"Now, the first thing I will show you is how to focus your energy into a physical tangent," Genkai instructed from her seated position. Kari and Keiko blinked, obviously not understanding. Genkai growled and cupped her hands in front of her. "Like this." The old psychic closed her eyes and the girls watched as a tiny orb of energy manifested in her hands, shining with a periwinkle hue.

"Oh wow," Keiko murmured. Suddenly, she felt her own inadequacy flood over her. What was she doing? There was no way she could have any kind of power. This was insane!

The ball of energy disappeared and Genkai reopened her tired eyes.

"Now, you two will try," she rasped and crossed her arms. "Kari, you first."

The girl nodded and sat up straighter, closing her eyes and cupping her hands as Genkai had done. Keiko watched, amazed, as a sparkling, deep purple light popped in between Kari's palms. Her energy looked like a firecracker, shimmering and sparking in all directions. Kari peeked open an eye and gasped at the sight of her energy.

"Woah!" she gasped and lost her concentration, causing the energy to disappear. Genkai smirked at the girl.

"Well, it seems you have a better grasp on your energy than I thought." Kari grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of her head at the compliment. Keiko paled as Genkai turned to her expectantly.

"I...I don't know how," she murmured, embarrassed.

"Just look for the light." Keiko glanced to Kari's smiling face. The girl tapped her own forehead with two, gloved fingers. "Inside."

Keiko steeled herself with a deep breath and closed her eyes. She cupped her hands, just as Genkai and Kari had done, and concentrated. _The light, the light, the light, _she chanted to herself. After a few moments, she felt herself tense and the feeling of failure flood back over her. Kari must have been wrong. Keiko didn't see anything.

"You have to relax, Keiko." Keiko opened one eye to see Kari giving her an impassive look. "If you are all tense like that, your energy cannot flow naturally. Just breath." Keiko nodded and closed her eyes again, willing herself to relax.

_Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. The light, the light. _Keiko thought. She could feel the world moving beneath her; the wind in the trees and the sun shining over them, sharing its life giving warmth. As she felt the last of her muscles loosen up, she finally saw it. A tiny, glimmering light, like a star. There it was. Her spirit energy! She imagined reaching out a hand to grasp that light and a feeling of electricity sizzled through her. Keiko hazarded opening an eye, much like Kari had done a moment before. There in her hands, for just a split moment before she, too, lost her concentration, was her energy. It was a soft, glowing pink and rotated in her palms, its pointed sides jutting outward.

Keiko beamed as the energy disappeared and she looked to her two companions. Kari 'whooped!' her delight and fist pumped the air while Genkai merely grinned.

"Very good, Keiko." Keiko felt her smile widen more as she felt elation warm her system. She could do it. She was no longer the odd one out.

Hiei was watching the three women from the tree line. He was partially there to make sure no other demons came looking to make a meal out of the humans, but he was also curious. Curious to know more about Kari and her abilities.

"How are they doing?" Kurama asked as he appeared at Hiei's elbow. The sun had risen considerably high by now and the ladies had been working for several hours.

"It looks like Keiko does have some power, after all. Not very strong but probably enough to defend herself against some low level apparitions."

"Oh and what about Kari?" Kurama grinned as Hiei threw a glare his way.

"That girl shows promise but she lacks discipline," Hiei remarked as he watched Kari somersault expertly across the meadow while Genkai worked with Keiko one-on-one.

"Well, perhaps you can teach her some restraint. Since you so gallantly offered to train her." Hiei growled but his retort died on his tongue as Kari yelled to them.

"Hey, Kurama! Genkai says we are done for today. Um...you think you could help Keiko back?" the girl shouted as she jogged up to the two, smiling widely as her hair tossed about her shoulders. She ignored the tingle down her spine and the glare a certain fire demon was shooting at her.

Kurama graciously agreed and moved to help Keiko stand before pulling the exhausted girl onto his back. Kari waved the trio off as they disappeared back into the forest, following the same path she had taken that morning. With the three gone, Kari suddenly remembered what was set to happen now. She turned her nervous eyes to Hiei, the tingle creeping back down her spine for a second time.

"So...uh," she watched as Hiei walked a few steps away, hands in his pocket and obviously not interested. "Um, what do you want to do?" Kari watched as Hiei removed his sword from his hip, resting it against a tree, and snapping a thick branch off. He turned back to her, a homicidal glint in his eye.

"Defend yourself." Kari cocked an eyebrow but had no chance to ask what he meant before the branch came swinging directly into her face.

* * *

_Author's Note: Thank you, everyone, for taking the time to check out my story. :) I have had a lot of fun creating this new character to introduce to all of the YYH gang. Please take just a few minutes to review and let me know what you like and don't like so far. I will try to update at least once a week for you!  
_

_THANKS!_


	5. Chapter 5

Kari had taken a few hits in her life. Falling and busting her butt when throwing a new trick came with the territory of being a parkour runner. Skint knees, roughed up hands, a sprained ankle; these were all things she had a lot of experience with. However, she had never experienced someone smacking her with anything directly across the face until Hiei had whacked her with the thick branch he had just pulled. Kari was knocked off her feet from the sheer force of the blow, stars blurring her vision and pain rocketing behind her eyes.

"Ow…" she murmured weakly as constellations still danced through her vision and the world spun dizzily. The pain was almost blinding and she was pretty sure her lip was busted due to the metallic taste in her mouth.

"Get up." Kari opened one bleary eye to see Hiei towering over her, glare in place and that wicked branch still in hand. Suddenly, the pain seemed to vanish and left Kari with a feeling of white hot rage.

"What the actual fuck?!" Kari screeched as she jumped to her feet, her gloves smoking and heat radiating from her. Hiei didn't so much as flinch as she glared into this face.

"Apparently your reflexes are more lackluster than I thought," Hiei countered with a nonchalant tone. Kari fumed.

"You hit me in the face with a damn tree branch! I didn't even get a freakin' warning!" Hiei rolled his eyes at the girl's outburst. Kari grumbled a few colorful words to herself and touched her gloved fingers to her lip, irritated when she saw the small smear of blood. She glared back at the demon, defiant. "Asshole."

"I said to defend yourself," Hiei growled before vanishing. Kari blinked in surprise but then felt the panic, and the heat that came with that emotion, crawl through her.

"Shit!" She couldn't sense him anywhere. Kari looked wildly around her. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up from the adrenaline now coursing through her veins. A blur in her peripheral vision, off to the left, caused her to jump backwards and narrowly avoid Hiei's next attack. Kari balked at the insane glint in Hiei's eye as his branch/sword marginally missed another blow to the girl's head.

So, what else could she do with a crazy, branch swinging demon on her tail but run?

Kari bolted into the forest, sprinting as fast as her legs could carry her. Leaping over roots, dodging tree limbs, and praying that she was going to be fast enough to get back to Genkai's temple without Hiei mowing her down.

Yeah, no such luck.

As Kari bolted into another clearing, she also smacked right into that damned branch. In the face. Again. Kari lay dazed on the ground for the second time that day while Hiei circled her, clearly disappointed.

"You don't even try to block. Stupid human," Hiei muttered as Kari finally sat up, cradling her throbbing head with one hand.

"Block ho- Ow!" Kari recoiled as Hiei struck her again, although this time a touch softer. "Would you stop hitting me in the head?! I'm gonna get a concussion!"

"Then block!" Hiei threw another strike but was caught unawares when Kari caught this one in her now bare right hand. Kari threw him a snarl as the branch exploded into ash and wiggled her flame covered fingers.

"That's enough," Kari growled at Hiei's stunned face and jumped up from the ground. Hiei was not only amazed the the girl had destroyed the branch but...her eyes. There was something wrong with her eyes but he couldn't pin it down. The color was the same, the shape the same. What was it?

Irritated, Hiei vanished. "Really? You gonna find another branch and beat me up some more?" Kari called into the trees and flipped some hair from her face. This form of "training" was more irritating than informational, in her opinion. She flopped back into a sitting position when Hiei didn't magically reappear and gingerly probed her head with her ungloved hand. Closing her eyes, she tried to track his spirit energy but found it was too difficult.

"Tch. Jerk. Burnt up one stupid stick and he gives up."

"I don't give up."

Kari's eyes bolted open to see Hiei not mere inches from her face, causing her to reel back in her seated position and wind up sprawled on the ground. Again. Man, she was getting to know the terrain of Genkai's forest on a real personal level today. Hiei straightened with a smirk at the flustered girl.

"Damn it! How do you keep sneaking up on me like that?" Kari demanded and rolled backwards, over her shoulder, to push herself to stand. Then, she noticed the sword, still sheathed in Hiei's hands. "Um...please don't tell me you are gonna start attacking me with that now?" she gulped. In what crazy, messed up world does one move from training with a tree branch to a sword so quickly?

Hiei grinned wickedly and pulled the sword from the sheath...only to plunge it into the ground.

"Block." Hiei swung the scabbard at Kari and she barely had time to throw up her arms to defend her head. Hiei kept swinging, smacking Kari in the arm, the head, the shoulder, the stomach, with the girl cursing and trying to move out of the way with every attack.

"That is the worst technique I have ever seen." Hiei finally said after a few minutes of barraging the girl and returned the sheath to his side. Kari rubbed at her now bruising forearms, irritation written across her features.

"I highly doubt just throwing my arms up is some major martial arts block," Kari countered as she probed at the rapidly forming bruises on her arms. "I thought you were supposed to show me 'real technique' or whatever."

"You have no fighting experience?" Kari glanced at Hiei and saw that he was really pissed now. Eyes narrowed, arms crossed and clenched in anger.

"Well, um….no?" Hiei fumed silently, an angry vein pulsing in his temple.

"You are a complete amatuer."

"Well, I wouldn't say-"

"That was not a question," Hiei hissed, causing Kari to snap her mouth shut. The demon rubbed his bandaged fist across his eyes while he tried to think of a way to get out of training the girl. "How, exactly, did you take down a demon three times your size with no training?"

"I dunno. I just did," Kari replied, indignantly. Hiei peeked open one eye to look at her but she was too busy staring down at her bare hand, the other still hidden beneath a white glove. "I just...react. I guess." Hiei sighed and took a few steps towards the girl. He figured he was already here so why not show the stupid, little girl at least how to block a physical attack.

"Lesson One. Defense."

* * *

In an almost empty tavern in the demon world, our lion demon sat impatiently waiting. His claws clacked and clicked on the old wooden table as he took in the patrons of the little bar he had been directed to meet at. An elderly bartender sat swishing a filthy rag in a glass, his yellow eyes drifting lazily around the room. Several younger demons, all C-class at most, were hunched together in a corner with a deck of cards between them while a young female with long green hair and pearly white skin weaved between the younglings, garnering for their attention. Another demon, huddled beneath a thick black cloak, was slowly downing his pints alone.

"You are Raisho?" the lion demon turned his great head to see a young dog demon, brown with white spots dotting across his snout, looking up at him. Any teenage human girl would have squealed at the overall cuteness of the creature with his little pointed ears and wagging tail; but Raisho noticed the short sharp teeth and pointy claws this tiny demon possesed.

"You cannot possibly be who I have traveled all this way to meet," Raisho chortled as the dog demon took his seat across from the lion.

"Of course not. I am Kichiro, my master's loyal servant," the little dog replied.

"Your master is too busy to come himself?" Raisho muttered and returned to drumming his long claws on the table. "That is too bad. I do not care to share my intel with the likes of you."

"Oh? You do not think my ears worthy of such news simply because of my class?" Raisho raised an eyebrow at the demon. This dog, more like a puppy, could not have been more than a D-class and he had the gall to speak to he, the Mighty Raisho, with such disrespect. "Perhaps you would prefer to meet my colleague?"

A loud _**thump**_ caused Raisho to jerk his attention to the group playing cards in the corner. All three of the C-class demons lay slumped across the table, their throats slit and blood puddling on the table and floor. The demoness with the green hair stood swaying on her feet and a creepy smile etched across her features. A thick black vine with red thorns, dripping with blood, was laced through her fingers and wriggling with the energy she was pouring into it.

_I couldn't even sense her power,_ Raisho thought, panicking inwardly while maintaining a look of indifference. The demoness, her sinister joy still apparent on her features, tiptoed around the table and sauntered to the two.

"You have news for my master?" she purred as she slid into another chair and propped her elbows on the table. She was a lovely creature with long dark lashes and curves in all the right places. Her tiny gray dress left very little to the imagination as it rode up on her could feel the energy from her now; upper B-class at least. Powerful and beautiful? Raisho grinned.

"I will only speak with your master."

The demoness grinned and drew a small drawstring purse from her hip. Carelessly, she dumped the contents onto the table: a small pile of gold and precious gems.

"How about now, my lion?" she sighed dreamily, that aura of viciousness lacing every word. "This can be yours if you will only share with me."

He was tempted. Who wouldn't be with a small fortune staring up at them? But Raisho knew better. Nonchalantly, he swiped the treasures onto the floor with one massive paw; his claws dragging the wood and creating several small crevices.

"Your baubles do not interest me. I will address only the great Minoru."

"That is a good answer, lion." A smooth baritone echoed through the room, deep and reverberating with power. The demon who had been concealed beneath the cloak vanished with a pop, the cloak fluttering the ground. Raisho flicked his eyes from the pile of cloth to the elderly bartender. Well, once elderly bartender. The demon who stood behind the bar now, dirty glass still in hand, was young, strong, and oozed an air of regal stature. His long white hair was pulled back into a sophisticated, neat braid and trailed down his back to his hips. Dark grey eyes shined in his tan face and there, just above his brow, was a black shard embedded in the skin.

The demoness sauntered across the room and barred the entrance as the new demon walked out from behind the bar and took the seat she had previously occupied. The little dog demon's tail was wagging quickly, excitement shining in his honey brown eyes.

"You have the pleasure of an audience with the mighty and powerful Minoru. The one true Dragon of the Dark Mountains." the little dog pronounced. The demon smiled at the introduction and steepled his long fingers together, appraising Raisho, who grinned a large toothy smile.

"So? Where is this human girl who wields fire?"

* * *

Kari watched a thin line of clouds, wispy and pearly white, traips across the darkening sky. For anyone else on summer vacation, this would seem like a perfect day to be lounging in the soft grass with a cool breeze to comfort them; but Kari was covered in bruises and bleeding from several small open wounds.

"Well, that wasn't as pathetic." Kari glared up at the smirking demon who entered her view.

"Shut up," Kari retorted as she pulled herself into a seated position for the millionth time that day. She hocked a glob of bloody spit off to the side in disdain but did not get up from the ground. The sun was starting to set off in the distance and Hiei took the chance to sheath his sword. They had been out together all afternoon and Hiei had finally shown Kari how to use several proper blocking techniques.

"That's enough for today. Get back to Genkai's." Hiei turned his back on the girl and moved towards the trees a few steps. Kari may have learned a few moves, but Hiei was still irritated that she had no other formal training. This was going to be a long summer.

"Yeah, yeah." Hiei cast a sidelong glance at Kari and watched as her palm lit up with a thin layer of fire. "Go on. I can get myself back," she replied as she pressed the flickering flames against one side of her face, covering her busted lip and developing black eye.

"What the hell?!" Hiei yelled as he flickered in front of the girl and yanked her hand away. But where he expected to see boiling, burning flesh was...nothing.

"What?" Kari asked, more irritated than shocked, as Hiei took in her newly recovered features. The scratches, the bruising, all gone, as if he had not spent the better part of the day beating her with his scabbard. The demon looked wildly from her still flaming palm to her face.

"How…?" For once, Hiei was speechless. Kari gently pulled her hand back, careful to keep the flames away from his skin, and pressed it to her opposing arm, covering the worst of the bruises.

"What? You can't do that?" she asked nonchalantly. A breeze ruffled her loose curls around her face and Hiei carefully pulled back his stoic expression. She placed her still burning palm on her opposing arm and trailed it down to cover all the bruising she had acquired that day.

"No one can do that." Kari blinked and jerked her attention back to him. "Fire does not have healing properties. It can only burn and destroy."

"Well, maybe you've just been doing it wrong," Kari replied with a cheeky grin and examined her newly healed arm. "I can only do it to myself, if that makes a difference." Hiei rocked back on his heels, still crouched, and watched as she rubbed her flames along the cuts on her legs. The wounds vanished where she touched, leaving only a faint smear of blood.

"Would you stop staring? You're freakin' me out," Kari muttered as she shot the crouching Hiei a look. The demon still could not muster a reply, shocked at seeing Kari heal her injuries so easily. Kari sighed and pulled her other glove from her pocket and made to replace it over her hand.

"You shouldn't wear those." Kari cocked an eyebrow at Hiei. He glared and snatched the glove from her grip.

"Hey!" Kari cried and made to grab the glove but Hiei blurred out of the way to reappear behind her. "I need that!"

"You need to learn proper control and you can't do that with your little safety blanket." Hiei sneered as he tucked the glove into his own pocket. Kari bit back a retort as the flames rose back to her palm. She clenched her hand into a fist and willed the flames to dissipate but her anxiety kept the barest flicker moving across her palm. Not one to be shown up by anyone, Kari pushed herself to her feet and ripped the other glove from her hand, thrusting it into Hiei's face.

"Fine! Here! Take the other one, then!" Hiei smirked and picked the glove from her hand. Kari, fuming, turned her back on him and stalked off towards the trees. She grouched and grumbled and flames boiled from both clenched fists. Thank god she had a long walk back to Genkai's temple. She needed to vent out all the frustration before she returned.

_Control. Control. You must not hurt anyone._

Kari's eyebrow twitched as she sensed Hiei trailing along behind her.

"I am more than capable of getting back on my own."

"Hn."

Kari threw a glare over her shoulder and her flames flickered around her hands. Hiei was smirking at her, arms crossed. Clearly he was enjoying her frustration.

Kari picked up the pace, stomping through the brush and branches. Ashes rained down from the foliage she touched bursting into flames and this fueled her anxiety even more.

_Control. Breath. Control. Breath._ Kari thought as she tried to suppress her flames. But the mix of Hiei's presence at her back and her irritation at having her gloves taken away kept the flames boiling. The heat prickled up her neck and Kari could feel herself starting to lose control.

_Shit, shit, shit! Breath. Control. Breath, control, control!_

Hiei could feel it, too. Where this had started as something mildly entertaining, it was starting to dawn on Hiei just how much control Kari lacked over her abilities. It wasn't just with how powerful she really was; Kari was afraid of herself.

"Stop here."

Kari jerked to a halt. Her shoulders hunched and her breathing fast and short. Heat rolled off of her in waves and the flames in her hands were licking up to her elbows.

"What now?!" she ground out through her gritted teeth. She had lost control before but never when anyone was around. Now the embarrassment of losing control in front of Hiei was feeding into her fire. Hiei slowly moved to her left and placed his palm on the trunk of a large tree. "You gonna give me the gloves back now?"

"No." Kari flinched at his unforgiving tone and the flames flared. "Hit the tree."

Her head jerked up and wild eyes turned on the calm demon. "Beg pardon?"

"Hit. The. Tree." Hiei restated, patting the bark with his left hand at every word. Kari scowled and threw a punch at the oak, creating a smoldering hole where her fist landed, barely an inch from Hiei's hand.

"Happy?" she sarcastically barked, glaring into his stone face. He could feel her energy shift ever so slightly. Hiei smirked and took a step back.

"Again." Kari was more than happy to comply. She struck the tree again and her flames licked up the bark.

"Again."

All the anger and fear and irritation came ripping from her fists in a flash of fire. The tree scorched and smoldered; wood chips flew in a spray of dust and ash. Hiei watched, mildly impressed, as Kari tore the tree apart piece by piece until her flames consumed it and it fell into a smoldering heap of ash.

Panting and exhausted, Kari flopped onto her backside and looked up into the now starry sky. Her flames had dissipated but her heat still flooded through her system, humming with power. She glanced at the pile of smoldering ashes and let out a small chuckle.

"Man, that felt good!" she laughed as she stretched her arms overhead. Kari looked to the side where Hiei was leaned against another tree. Arms crossed and eyes glowing in the darkness.

"Suppressing your powers does not equal control," he said and Kari could hear the smirk in his voice. She glanced down at her hands and grinned. She could do this.

Rolling backwards, over her shoulder, Kari pushed herself to stand and moved to head back to Genkai's.

"Alright, alright. Come on. I'm starved."Hiei may have been right but she didn't have to acknowledge that just yet.

They were quiet the rest of the way back to Genkai's temple.

And it was pleasant.

* * *

_Author's Note: My apologies for the super SUPER late post! I have been very busy with work and planning my wedding. Not to mention that this was a really difficult chapter to write. There were so many ways it could have gone but I am pretty satisfied with how to came out.  
_

_The next few chapters and mostly written so hopefully there will not be a super long wait between chapter this time._

_Please review and let me know what you think!_

_-K_


	6. Chapter 6

"Get up."

Kari heaved herself off the ground once again; gloveless fingers digging into the dirt. Hiei stood over her, scabbard in hand and a seething glare.

"Are you even trying?" he challenged as Kari wiped a clot of blood from her brow.

"Of course I'm trying," she sighed as she rubbed her temples.

Three days. Three days of hiking up this godforsaken mountain before the sun even rose. Three days of exhausting herself with training Keiko. Three days of letting this sadistic demon pummel her to within an inch of her life.

"Again." Kari threw up her arms in a proper block and shifted her feet into a more secure stance.

She was starting to miss school.

* * *

"I'm worried about Kari," Keiko admitted as she lounged against the couch. She and Yukina were drinking tea while watching Yusuke and Kuwabara battle each other in a fighting game. Keiko could feel a tingle of guilt trickle through her system. True, she worked hard in the mornings but at least she was spending her afternoons enjoying her summer break. "She's been working really hard these past few days with no break. And she had a few bruises on her yesterday."

"Really? I thought she looked pretty good considering she's been training with the shrimp. Shit!" Kuwabara cried as he tried to get his character to evade Yusuke's attacks. Kuwabara groaned as his character toppled over dramatically and "Game Over" flashed across the screen.

"Yeah, I agree with the loser here," Yusuke gloated with a cheeky grin, making Kuwabara fume. "I figured Hiei woulda beat Kari black and blue but it looks like he has been playing nice so far."

"Well, I guess so," Keiko conceded. "I mean, she's stopped wearing the gloves so that must be a good sign, right? Still, I think she needs a little time off. She's supposed to be on summer break, too."

"We could go to the hot springs tomorrow evening," Yukina offered with a gentle smile. "The healing properties of the springs will probably do you both some good."

"That's a great idea!" Keiko beamed. She didn't want to admit it, especially in front of Yusuke, but her training had been tiring her out more than she let on.

"What's a great idea?" Botan asked as she entered the shrine, kicking off her shoes.

"Hey, Botan! We were just planning on making a trip up to the hot springs tomorrow evening," Keiko gushed, excitement starting to overtake her.

"Oh wonderful! A girl's night out; how fun! I'm sure we all need some pampering, especially Kari. Poor girl's probably worn out."

* * *

Kari had her flaming palm once again pressed to her face in attempts to keep herself from looking like a domestic abuse victim. The sun had started to set which had become the signal that training was over for the day. Legs outstretched, Kari leaned back on her left hand while her right did it's work on her wounds.

"You have shown zero improvement," Hiei grumped from his now standard spot on the ground across from her. Arms and legs crossed, he did not look pleased. Kari sighed.

"Hey, I'm blocking much better now, thank you very much," Kari bit back as she shifted her weight to her right hand and set her left to work on the other side of her face.

"Hn. You would be dead a dozen times over if I was really trying to kill you." Hiei replied. Kari leaned forward and set to work on a nasty scratch across her collarbone. If this was Hiei going easy, Kari was grateful.

"Yeah, yeah. I suck, what else is new?" Kari bitterly laughed. After three days of this Kari has started to figure out Hiei's vernacular. She took his criticisms as a sign that he was still interested in training her. That and she figured he must get some sick joy from beating her senseless everyday.

"At least your control over your abilities isn't as awful as your blocking."

Kari grinned at his backhanded compliment.

"Aw, Hiei. That was touching," she replied sarcastically, laying on a thick layer of false sweetness. The demon scowled and Kari chuckled softly as she moved her hands to her arms. "I think Genkai is gonna be pissed if I burn down her whole forest though." To date Kari had destroyed five rather large trees on their hikes back to the temple. Even though she felt exhausted after the fact, Kari felt a great relief at being able to release her excess energy. Plus, it just felt good to run wild for a bit; to be a little destructive.

"Well, if you had trained your abilities from the beginning you wouldn't have had so much trouble."

"Hey, just 'cause your definition of training is to beat the crap out of me, that doesn't make it mine." Kari retorted with a cocked eyebrow. "I just tried to focus more on control that anything. I mean, you saw how much damage I am capable of. You think those gloves just suppressed all that power without any work? Please."

"Obviously it was very effective." Hiei scoffed with a bite of sarcasm. Kari stiffened and fixed the demon with a glare. In a huff, she pulled herself to the ground and dusted off her shirt.

"I don't have to justify my methods to you. Laters." Kari brushed past the demon and set off into the trees, leaving Hiei behind her. Only a few minutes later did she feel the tingle trickle down her spine that signaled Hiei's presence. The demon trailed a few steps behind her, hands in his pockets.

Apparently, he had struck a chord.

* * *

Kari was quick to grab a bowl of food and chat with Keiko in the kitchen while she ate. The two friends had not spent nearly enough time together and Kari was thrilled to hear that they would be going to the hotsprings the next evening.

"What on earth did you do to your legs?" Keiko exclaimed as she took in the multiple bruises and scratches on her friend. In the midst of her little tantrum, Kari had completely forgotten to take the time to heal her legs.

_Crap. I didn't want to worry her._

"Just ran through some prickle bushes today while training. It's no big deal," Kari said and slurped up another mouthful of noodles. "Doesn't even hurt."

Keiko rolled her eyes at her friend's lack of table manners.

"Hiei isn't...hurting you, is he?" Kari cast a glance at Keiko's worried face.

"It's training, Keiko. It's gonna hurt." Keiko didn't look appeased so Kari switched tactics. "He's not doing it just because he can. Hiei is showing me proper fighting technique and when you learn that you're gonna get a little hurt. It's nothing I can't handle." Kari took a long slurp of the broth in her bowl.

"If we need to sick Yusuke on Hiei, you just say the word." Botan muttered, her face solemn, as she appeared at Kari's elbow. Her arrival was so abrupt, that Kari let out a cry of surprise and her palms lit with fire. The sudden release of heat was so intense that all the broth in her soup evaporated in a cloud a steam and the noodles and vegetables burst into ashes.

"Shit!" Kari screeched as she dropped the bowl, letting it clatter to the table and send ash flying all over her. "Botan! Where the hell did you come from?!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Kari; but I just can't resist a good surprise." Botan replied with a kitty cat face and a soft "meow!" Kari felt her eyebrow tick in irritation and Keiko tried to stifle a laugh. Kari's outburst lay on her tongue, ready to lash out at her friend, when a ringing noise echoed in the kitchen.

"Hm?" Kari looked to Botan, who it seemed was emitting the noise.

"Oh, that must be Koenma!" the deity cried as she dug out a purple compact and flipped it open. "Botan here." Kari peered over the girls shoulder to see that the compact was not a mirror or makeup, but a small screen with a few controls. On the screen was a baby wearing a large hat and almost hidden behind a stack of papers easily three times his size.

"Botan, I know you are on break, but I need to know where your reports from the souls ferried this week are."

"I left the reports in your master in pile, Koenma, sir." Botan chirped, completely unfazed that a preschooler was demanding paperwork.

"Is that a toddler?" Kari asked as she leaned closer. On the screen, the child jerked his face forward, facing the screen. With a squeal, it dove out of sight, mumbling and cursing. After a moment, Teenage Koenma jumped back into the view, straightening his clothes and hair.

"Why, Kari, how lovely to see you again," Koenma laughed as he tried to lean back on the desk in a lax manner but only ended up knocking over a tower of papers. Botan started to giggle as Koenma frantically tried to straighten out the papers. Kari glanced over to Keiko, who was also in stitches.

"Hey, Koenma. Who was the baby?" Kari asked as she turned back to screen. "Your little brother or something?" Koenma began babbling and giggling, his words all running together and making no sense. His flustered response only fueled Keiko and Botan's laughter and Kari's confusion.

_I'm missing something, aren't I?_ Kari thought with a roll of her eyes.

Could her life get any weirder?

* * *

Hiei had taken up residence in his favorite tree right on the edge of the was here that Kurama found him, lounging in the branches.

"I take it your training with Kari is going well?"

Hiei growled and shot a glare down at Kurama. The redhead offered a smile and leaned back against the trunk.

"She has no real fighting prowess. It's like teaching a child."

"Well, her control has increased rather dramatically, I must say. Of course knocking down trees easily twenty times your size can help with that." Kurama grinned. Hiei just scowled.

"She said she had trained her own control before she met us." Now Kurama was interested.

"Oh? Did she say how?"

"No." Kurama sighed and looked to the sky. Hiei just wanted to be stubborn.

"Perhaps you should ask, Hiei." the demon shot him a withering look. "Who knows? We could learn even more about her power if we knew how she had trained herself." Kurama pushed himself from the tree and moved to go inside. "Just a thought."

Hiei glared after his friend, the idea Kurama that had just proposed niggling in the back of his mind. After a bit of thought, Hiei sighed and closed his eyes. He would have to find out the extent of Kari's powers one way or another.

* * *

Keiko had sweat dripping from her brow and into her eyes. Her hands were cupped in front of her and the flicker of energy she had spent the last four days learning to summon was writhing and wriggling in her palms. With a tug of energy, the flicker shaped into a disk, flat and translucent.

"Very good, Keiko." Genkai offered with a small smile. Keiko released the energy with a sigh and dropped her head forward.

"That's a lot harder than it looks," Keiko laughed and massaged her wrists.

"Summoning energy is one thing; but yes, manipulating your energy into a physical medium can be very taxing." Genkai explained. "At least you are doing better than some people." The old psychic shot a look at her other pupil.

Kari was laid out on her back, one hand cradling the back of her head in one hand and draping the other across her face. The corners of her mouth perked up and she peeked one green eye between her fingers.

"Aw, come on, Master Genkai. I train all day long. I get tired." Kari reasoned as she stretched both her arms overhead. Genkai rolled her eyes and Keiko let out a short laugh. Kari rolled up into a sitting position and began to pull her hair into a ponytail. "Hiei's here if you guys are ready to head back."

Keiko blinked and looked frantically into the trees, trying to pick out Hiei's nodded her head towards a cusp of trees and Keiko could just make out a rough black shape in the shadows.

"I still can't sense energies." Keiko pouted and shot her friend a look. "How did you feel him show up?"

_Stupid tingle thingy, that's how. _Kari thought sarcastically as she pulled herself up.

"I'll see you this evening," Kari called over her shoulder as she ducked into the trees. Keiko turned to Genkai with a quizzical look.

"You sensed him show up, right?" Genkai gave a curt nod and stood. Keiko sighed and rose as well. "I guess I'll get it eventually."

* * *

Hiei was leaning against a tree, the shade keeping the vicious sun off of him, when Kari walked up. Instantly, she took up a defensive position; feet angled in preparation to juke to the side and arms up in a perfect block. Hiei eyed her with a sideways glance and let out a sigh.

"Come on. I'm feeling good. Like I could go at least ten minutes without you pummeling me," Kari joked as she bounced on the balls of her feet, ready for anything.

"We aren't sparring today." Kari's stance dropped just a bit at his statement.

"Come again?" Hiei turned his eyes up and faced her.

"Show me." he said. Kari cocked an eyebrow and let her arms drop.

"Show you what, exactly?" she questioned as she eyed his form, waiting for him to leap into action. Hiei pushed himself off the tree and faced her full on.

"You said you trained before you came here. Show me how."

"You wanna train my way?" Ok, this was just getting stupid weird. Hiei smirked and crossed his arms.

"Yes, well, you seemed to insist that your methods were better than mine so come on. Impress me."

Kari blinked and as the realization of what he was asking sank in, her face lit up with a wicked grin.

"Alright." Kari stepped past him, heading into the woods. She stretched her arms up and over, warming up her sides and then shaking out her legs. "First: free run."

* * *

Kari was a mad woman. This was what she did for fun? She juked in between the trees, leaping branches with acrobatic skills and apparent ease. She wasn't particularly fast, not to his standards anyway, but the way she easily dodged obstacles with various tricks and maneuvers was astounding. For a human, at least.

She called this "follow the leader" and expected Hiei to copy every move she pulled in the same way she did. If he didn't, she would slide to a halt and make him do it again.

"I fail to see the point in doing this," he grumbled as she turned and made him retrace his last steps. Where she had jumped over a sprawling root and twisted her body into a somersault, ninja rolling across the ground before standing, he had simply jumped.

"Itemized list of why we are doing this. 1.) It keeps you loose and flexible which I am sure you need to maintain to be in great fighting form." Hiei completed the move like she wanted and Kari smiled.

"2.)," Kari leapt at a tree branch and caught hold. Using her momentum she swung upwards and then released at the peak of her swing into a front flip, landing gracefully on her feet. "normal running doesn't prepare you for unexpected obstacles and how to overcome them." Hiei copied the flipping move and faced her. Kari held up three fingers and cast him a cocky smile.

"And 3.) It's just really fun!" Kari sprung into a handspring and knocked off a few, tumbling past him, before completing with a back tuck, landing, and folding herself into a cross legged position beneath a large tree.

Hiei rolled his eyes and copied the handspring combo but adding a sideways twist to the last move before he, too, came to sit at the base of the tree, a few feet between them.

"Aw, see? You had fun with it." Kari offered as she leaned back against the trunk, laughing. Hiei smirked.

"If you say so." was all he wouldn't admit it, but this had been a nice change of pace.

Kari rolled her eyes but was still smiling. She summoned a small flame to her fingers and watched it roll across her knuckles.

"So, Hiei. Where ya from?" Kari asked and twirled the fire between her fingers nonchalantly. Hiei crossed his arms and leaned back against the tree.

"Demon World," he answered simply. Kari shot him an exasperated look.

"Well, obviously I got that part but, I dunno. Where do you live? You have a job? A family?" Hiei stiffened and glared at the human girl. His look conveyed that he was up not up for chatting but Kari was unfazed and just shrugged her shoulders. "Come on, humor me."

"Alaric," Hiei muttered. "I work on the border patrol in Alaric."

"Border patrol? Like between the human and demon world?" Kari asked, fascinated. Hiei just nodded. "Cool. So, what exactly do you do?"

"What do you care?" Hiei scoffed as he took in the human girl. Kari still trapeezed a single flame between her fingers, completely at ease.

"Well, you're the first demon I've ever gotten to really talk to. I'm just curious." She smirked and turned those unsettling green eyes on him. "You don't _have_ to answer my questions if you don't want to." Hiei waited a beat and sighed. He settled back against the tree.

"I track humans and return them to this world."

"Oh, ok. So, why are you here? Don't you have to go back at some point?"

"I take a break from patrol every few months and yes, I will return in a few weeks."

"Ah, gotcha. So, what about your family?" Hiei tensed and passed a glance at the girl. Kari wasn't looking at him but instead was focusing on the flame still wriggling through her fingers like a blazing red ribbon. She looked so at peace to be playing with fire; it was a pleasant change from only a few days ago.

"I live alone." Hiei was entranced by the flame rolling across her knuckles. The way it flickered and flared against her pale hand was...beautiful. "But I have a sister," he blurted out.

"Really?" Kari looked delighted at the idea of Hiei having a sister and she turned to him with a big grin. "What's her name? Can she control fire, too?" The thought of another being, human or demon, being able to control fire was too exciting to contain.

Hiei bit his tongue. _God, why did I say anything? _"No, she can't control fire and she doesn't know about me, alright?" Hiei growled and clenched his eyes shut, shoving his back against the tree once again. All these years of keeping this secret and he just spews it all to this silly human girl. What the hell was wrong with him?!

"Oh. I guess it's complicated?" Hiei peeked at Kari through one eye. The flame had disappeared from her hand and she seemed concerned. "That's too bad, though. I wish I had a sibling or something." Kari looked out into the trees with a shadowed look on her face. Hiei cast a questioning look at her.

"You don't have a family?" he asked. Kari looked down at her hands and summoned another small flame to her palm.

"Just me and my gram." Kari replied as the flame danced from finger to finger. "My parents died when I was really young. I actually don't remember a whole lot about them." Kari shook the sad thoughts away and plastered a smile on her face.

"So, you ready to see how I train next?" Kari was obviously done talking about herself so Hiei just nodded; best he shut his mouth before he started blabbing like Botan.

Still smiling, Kari jumped up and grabbed two small leaves from the tree they sat under. She plopped back down and held up the leaves as if their mere existence explained what she was going to do.

"Alright, now turn to me and take a leaf." Hiei shifted so they faced one another, sitting cross legged. He snatched the leaf she offered and glared at it.

"Ok, so start a little flame in it, like this." The flame on Kari's fingertip flicked through the center of the leaf, leaving a small, burning hole. Hiei copied the girl although his hole wound up being a bit bigger. "Good, now don't let the flame get to the outside of the leaf for as long as you can." Hiei looked down at his own leaf and concentrated. He could feel the flame trying to move outwards and consume the leaf but he willed the flames to still. "I usually do this while watching TV or something." Hiei glanced up at Kari, who was smiling at him and not even glancing at her leaf. "Distraction makes it harder, see?" Hiei looked back down to see the hole is his leaf had grown considerably in the few seconds he hadn't been paying attention. He looked over to Kari's leaf and saw that her's had moved considerably less. "Pretty clever, right?"

"Hn." Hiei would not admit that this was, indeed, a clever way to practice control. Kari took his silence as boredom and frowned.

"Well, at least this is better than you whacking me with a bamboo rod to 'toughen me up'." Hiei smirked as he realized how he could win this little game they were playing. He turned his eyes back to the girl.

"It's not my fault you can't defend yourself." Kari visibly bristled and Hiei saw the hole in her leaf expand ever so slightly. He continued. "In fact, I'm not surprised at all that _this_ is the only way you could think to hone your skills. I guess you just aren't cut out for _real training._"

"Hey!" Kari ground out, anger flooding her system. "I had to figure all this out on my own, _thank you very much._ I'm _so sorry_ if your idea of training is having the crap beat out of you but my way-" Kari stopped when she saw the smirk on Hiei's face. Confused, she looked down at her leaf and saw that the hole had worked its way to the edges of the leaf and the whole thing crumbled from her fingertips.

"I win," Hiei gloated and Kari stared at him with her jaw dropped. Realizing how he had accomplished distracting her, Kari returned with a playful grin of her own.

"Best two out of three."

And so demon and girl spent the next few hours trying to make the other lose their concentration and burn away their leaves. In the end, they had gone through so many leaves the two had lost count on who had won and it didn't matter. They simply had a pleasant time in one anothers company.

* * *

The sun had set by the time Hiei and Kari began to make their way back to the temple. Walking side by side, the two wound their way through the dark woods, with nothing to light their path but the moonlight flickering through the leaves overhead. Kari decided to break their usual silence.

"Hiei?" The demon cast his eyes towards her and Kari continued. "How did you learn control over your fire? I mean, besides fighting all the time. Did anyone teach you?"

"Hn. No one taught me." Hiei replied and turned his eyes forward again. "I actually didn't truly begin my training with fire until a few years ago. When I fought in the dark tournament with Yusuke."

"What's a 'Dark Tournament'?" Kari asked as she slipped her hair from her ponytail and ran her fingers through it. She worked her fingers through the knots carefully but kept her focus on Hiei.

"It's a demon tournament here in the human world."

"Oh ok. I take it you guys won?" Hiei scoffed and glanced at her.

"I wouldn't be alive if we hadn't." Kari cocked an eyebrow at him.

"So, why wait until then to start training with fire? Wouldn't it have been helpful before then?" Hiei smirked at her incessant questions;they had spent a great deal of time talking today so why stop now?

"It wasn't until the tournament that I tapped into the powers of the darkness technique."

"Well, that sounds happy." Kari deadpanned. "Would _that_ be the reason your right arm is all wrapped up?"

"Yes, it keeps the dragon at bay." Kari jumped in front of him, apparently thrilled. He was genuinely confused by her smile; he had meant to scare the little human, not excite her.

"Really? A dragon? That's so cool!" Kari gushed. Hiei rolled his eyes and side stepped the girl to continue on to the temple. "Will you show me sometime?" Hiei turned his startled gaze to Kari, who seemed completely unaware of what she had just asked.

"Do you have a death wish?" Hiei growled. "It's not a toy!" Kari put her hands up in a defensive manner.

"Ok, ok. Eesh! I was just asking." Kari said as she pulled even with the demon. Hiei turned away and kept walking. Kari sighed and fell into step with him once more. Before she could say anything to remedy the situation, the two broke through the treeline and the temple came into view. There, on the walkway was Keiko, Botan, and Yukina; they obviously had been waiting for them to return.

"There you guys are! Kari, we're going to the hotsprings!" Keiko called. Kari noticed that all three girls were laden with towels and a change of clothes.

"Ok!" Kari called back and turned to Hiei. "Um...same thing tomorrow?"

"Hn." Hiei grunted and looked away.

"I'm gonna take that as a yes," Kari replied and turned to go. "Laters!" she called over her shoulder before joining Keiko and leaving around a corner.

Hiei stood in the shadows of the trees, thinking.

_She is the oddest human I have ever met._ But Hiei still smirked; regardless of species, Kari had alleviated his boredom. He continued into the temple and secretly looked forward to the following day. _I wonder what she will do next._

* * *

Kari ruffled her hair, letting her black curls fall about her shoulders as she slid into the murky water of the hot springs. Even though Kari was used to super hot baths, the warm water of the springs worked its way into her body and she could feel all her tensions melting away. Too bad Botan had to open her big mouth.

"Oh my! Kari, aren't you sore?" Botan cried as she stood up in the water, breasts bared to the world, and yanked one of Kari's arms above the water. Small, dark bruises trailed across her skin but Kari just shrugged and pulled her arm away. Those were nothing compared to the injuries she usually acquired in training; seeing as these were so small she hadn't bothered to heal them today.

"They don't hurt," Kari assured Botan as Keiko and Yukina both joined them. Those two had the decency to stay below the surface of the water to hide their nudity. Botan flopped back into the water, much to Kari's relief. She was comfortable being in the springs in her birthday suit but having Botan's boobs in her face was not her idea of 'relaxing.'

"I know Hiei can be cruel but to beat you black and blue in your first week of training is just...ugh!" Botan huffed and crossed her arms. "I don't know how you came back in one piece!"

"Hiei's not so bad," Kari replied, a little irritated at Botan's view of the demon. "He's tough and he pushes me but he really is trying to help."

"Hmph! I think Hiei just wanted a reason to beat up on a human. He's spent three years on the border patrol and personally-"

"Hiei's not 'beating me up'. We're training," Kari fumed and her eyebrow started to tick in frustration. Botan just had a way of getting to her. Kari may not have known Hiei for very long but, at this point, he was probably the only person who understood her power about as well as she did. She wasn't going to sit there and let someone bad mouth him to her face. Thankfully, Yukina jumped in.

"Kari's right, Botan. I don't think Hiei would ever be cruel or intentionally harmful to her." Kari smiled at the ice apparition, glad that someone else was on her side in the 'Hiei debate.'

"So, Hiei's not being cruel when he leaves those big bruises on you?" Botan challenged.

"I got these from free running today." Kari explained as she held up her arm to show off the small marks. "I do it all the time back home. And they are not big."

"Wait. You went running today? When?" Keiko asked as she tried to think back to the morning. She didn't recall Kari sneaking away to run through the woods.

"After we trained this morning. Hiei was with me." Kari admitted. "He kept up and everything. It was fun."

"You had_ fun_?" Botan asked incredulously.

"Yeah. You know fun, like 'hahaha?'" Kari replied sarcastically. "Hiei wanted to see how I usually trained so I showed him." The girls all blinked at her as if she had three heads. Kari rolled her eyes at their expressions. "You guys act like he's some horrific ogre or something. Seriously, he's pretty cool."

"Whatever you say," Botan replied with a wave of her hand and promptly changed the subject.

The girls prattled on and on about one thing or another for several hours and Kari felt herself relax into the warm water. Yukina had been right; the springs had a way of easing out the sore muscles.

As Botan started to regal them all with a story about a deranged spirit she had recently had to ferry to the spirit world, Kari leaned back and let her eyes drift shut.

_Hiei really isn't so bad._ she thought as the steam and the heat lulled her thoughts. Her mind drifted through the memory of the day and how enjoyable it was to train with Hiei. A small smile tugged at her lips. Botan had him pegged all wrong. Hiei wasn't cruel in the least.

* * *

Little did Kari know it, but she was being watched. A vision of her resting in the hot springs, eyes closed, rippled and wavered in a crystal basin filled with smoky water.

"You are sure that is her?" Raisho growled, his voice reverberating around the dim, stone room. A shaking green snake demon at his side nodded fiercely, yellow eyes darting from the image to the lion.

"Yes, sir. That is the girl who wields fire," the demon replied. Raisho smirked and laid a massive paw on the demon's head.

"Very good. Thank you for your devoted service." Without a warning, Raisho gripped the demon's head, claws digging into the scalp. The creature shrieked and struggled but it didn't stand a chance. Raisho crushed it's skull with a_** CRACK **_and the snake dropped dead.

"That makes three out three to identify the girl, Master Minoru." Raisho said and licked a drop of blood from his claws. "There can be no doubt now."

Minoru eased from the shadows, all long limbs and mystery. His gray eyes raked over the image of Kari and a small grin worked its way across his thin mouth.

"Excellent." Minoru stretched a hand, almost loving, to caress the edge of the basin with one long finger. Raisho cast a disdainful glance at the basin.

"Would you like me to send my men to collect the girl?"

"No." Raisho glanced at Minoru, who was still enraptured with the basin. "Leave her be." Minoru chuckled darkly and licked his lips.

"Such a lovely creature." Minoru swiped one finger across the surface of the water, right over where Kari's neck was. "She will be mine."

* * *

_Author's note: Since you all waited so long fro Chapter 5, I figured I could go ahead and post 6! Please read and review! _


	7. Chapter 7: Six weeks later

"Go right." Kari nodded and sprung into action. She kicked, she punched, she dodged. Hiei deflected and dodged her blows until he juked to his left; Kari brought her arm up to hit, stopping just before she made contact.

"Back." Kari leaped back as Hiei now advanced, attacking while Kari blocked and dodged. Hiei aimed a shot for her ribs and Kari deflected before bringing her fist up for another blow, stopping short again. Hiei smirked.

"Left." The two repeated the combo again with Kari attacking and Hiei blocking. At the last moment, when Hiei was supposed to go to his right, the demon changed course and juked left; Kari, not expecting the sudden change, couldn't defend fast enough. She tripped forward with a yelp and Hiei took the opportunity to smack her in the back of the head with his open palm, sending her face first into the dirt.

Hiei chuckled as the girl spat out dirt and grass and pushed herself up. Kari shot him an indignant look.

"You said 'left'," she fumed as she pushed herself back to standing. "That's cheating."

"Hn. I said left but my body language clearly indicated something else." Hiei repled with a grin. "You need to anticipate and watch carefully. Now, again." Kari groaned, took up her stance, and set back to training.

She may have been tired, but Kari was almost used to the changes Hiei would throw at her. It was mid-july now and they had been training nearly everyday for the past six weeks. There were a few days where both Keiko and Kari had taken some time off; those times were filled with a slew of other activities. Video games with Yusuke and Kuwabara, trips to the nearby village with Keiko and Yukina to shop and spend some time in each others company. Kari wouldn't admit it out loud, but she much preferred her days in the forest to the few "relaxing" days she had had.

The first two weeks working with Hiei had been a mixture of blocking and deflecting physical attacks and Kari's own methods. Every other day they would switch things up and take a break from sparring to free run or work on control; but now, Hiei had moved to showing her hand-to-hand combat. Kari's own work with acrobatics had made her light and flexible enough to handle the complex combat combinations that Hiei was teaching her. It had been hard at first but now, she lived for it.

Kari was starting to realize her own potential as a fighter. Her entire life up to now had been all about keeping her powers in check and doing everything she could to keep the focus of others from her. She had to hide and conceal herself in order to keep from accidentally injuring anyone. Now, the more she trained and worked, the more alive she felt. She could finally push herself and be who she truly was. Slowly, she was starting to understand this new, pleasing drive in her life: to fight and get even stronger.

Hiei had taken notice of the gradual changes she was making. Granted, she still had those brief moments where her palms would flare under duress or surprise, but Kari had never once asked for the gloves to be returned. Not only was her control better, but Kari was more open and over all happy. Especially when she would train with Hiei. Not that he would ever admit it, but Hiei liked this openness Kari had with him.

It was turning out to be the best summer of both their lives.

* * *

It was another summer day at the temple. Keiko and Kari had risen at their now usual time but there would be no training today. Overhead, thunder clashed and lightening was the only light in the sky as the sun was hidden behind the dark storm clouds.

The group, minus Hiei and Kurama, had taken refuge in the living room. Yusuke and Kuwabara playing a vicious game of cards, screaming insults back and forth. Keiko, Yukina, and Botan were vastly entertained as the two teenagers lost their cool over a deck or shiny paper. And Kari? Well, she was mostly bored.

"You're gonna get a headache if you keep sitting like that," Keiko half laughed as she glanced at her friend. Kari had thrown her legs over the top of the couch and was currently lounging upside down, her hair sweeping across the floor and arms crossed. Kari only tossed an irritated glare at Keiko and daned not to respond.

"Come now, Kari. Perk up!" Botan chirped as she flipped some hair over her shoulder. "I know, why don't we ladies have a little spa day. I would just love to braid your hair."

"Fuck. No." Kari growled as her brow ticked in annoyance. Botan sweat dropped at the girl's crude reply and Keiko made to patch things over.

"Kari just gets a little grumpy when it rains so much."

"If you are going to be rude, you could at least train and run that frustration out," Genkai croaked from her own seat.

"Raining." Kari muttered and swept a hand to the window.

"Then use the training hall, you brat." Kari jerked her legs forward and turned to crouch in front of the old psychic.

"What training hall?" she demanded. Genkai grinned.

"On the north side of the temple. Go play." Kari grinned and bolted from the room, calling a "Thanks!" behind her.

"Wow. That girl sure loves to be active." Botan muttered.

* * *

Kari hauled open a large door and was welcomed with a dark room. Lightning lit the sky behind her but did little to illuminate the space.

"Lights?" Kari murmured to herself as she felt along the wall for a switch. A plastic panel with a row of tiny switches appeared beneath her fingers and Kari quickly flipped the entire row upward. The room burst with light and Kari gaped at the site before her. Mats and ramps and rails; a medium sized obstacle course was set up from one end of the large room to another.

"Holy….FREAKIN' YES!" the girl squealed in delight as she hurriedly looked over different parts of the structure. It was a parkour training paradise! Quickly, Kari bolted to her bedroom, grabbed a small laptop from her bedside, and returned to the training hall. Plopping in the middle of the floor, she quickly pulled up one of her favorite parkour sites and started selecting an array of videos. It was time to try out some new tricks.

* * *

Hiei had taken his own refuge in the room Genkai had set aside for him. He wasn't one to spend a lot of time inside but he was secretly grateful for the shelter on a day like this. There he was, laid back on the futon that Yukina had been so kind to keep clean sheets on for him. He held his mother's tear gem between two fingers, looking into it as he had done so much in his younger years.

Hiei had taken great care to keep the gem hidden when he was around his friends, usually storing it in his pocket until he could be alone. The gem had always been able to sooth his inner fire when he looked into it but some nearby, thumping noise kept pulling him from his reverie.

Growling, Hiei shoved the gem into his pants pocket and slammed the door open. Vicious thoughts circled his mind for when he found the annoying sound that was pestering him. Hiei stalked to an open door where the sound was coming from and peered inside. His eyes widened and the regular tingle worked down his spine as he watched Kari running full force from one side of the room to the other, using the obstacle course to throw tricks he had never seen her pull before. The thumping sound was the resulting smack of Kari leaping and jumping across the mats and ramps on the room.

Kari jumped across a series of short platforms, throwing a front flip off the last one. Hiei stepped into room, watching as she pulled herself up to a second level of slanted ramps, towering almost ten feet off the ground. Kari jumped from one to another moving towards a large gap, too wide to jump across. A thin bar overhead was the only object that would lend a hand in traversing that leap. Kari pushed off the last ramp, arms outstretched to take hold of the bar. She caught hold but didn't stop there; using her momentum, she swung herself upward and flipped over to place her bare feet on the bar. One foot made contact but apparently Kari had over calculated her swing and her second foot missed entirely, causing Kari to loose her grip and fall backwards, heading straight for the ground. Kari gave out a yelp and prepared for the impact with the hard floor, closing her eyes in anticipation of the pain. Instead of the jarring contact with the floor, Kari felt two strong arms pluck her right out of the air and cradle her to a warm, broad chest. She opened her eyes and looked up into Hiei's surprised red ones. He had one arm under her knees and another behind her back. The two blinked at each, both surprised.

"Uh...wow. Nice save, Hiei!" Kari laughed and Hiei rolled his eyes.

"Are you trying to hurt yourself or do you just enjoy being stupid?" Hiei bit back, his fingers digging into her leg and side ever so slightly. When Kari had started to fall, his instincts had kicked into overdrive and before he knew it, he had flashed across the room and caught her.

"I'm not being stupid!" Kari retorted, leaning up to get in his face. She pointed one finger upward to the bar she had just fell from. "I'm trying to throw a new trick and sometimes-" Kari halted and felt a blush rise to her face. She had just realized that she was still in Hiei's arms and just how close their faces were. "Um...you can put me down now." Hiei stiffened and set the girl on her feet, mildly embarrassed. Kari averted her eyes and tried to ignore how warm her hands were getting.

"Uh. Thanks again. That would have really hurt."

Hiei grunted and crossed his arms. Suddenly, Kari perked up and looked at him with a wicked smile. She grabbed the top of his bandaged arm and started to drag him to the open floor of the room.

"Stand right here," she commanded before she started to walk backwards from him.

"What are you doing?" Hiei questioned, confused by her behavior. Kari, with that same grin, settled herself into a running stance, one leg behind her to push off.

"Just catch me," she said before she ran at him full force. Hiei, surprised, uncrossed his arms and grabbed Kari by the waist with both hands as she leapt at him. He hoisted her up over his head and held her there, looking up into her amused face. Carefully, he set her back down in front of him and fixed her with a stare. Kari just let out a short laugh and smiled.

"That's so cool. Come here and look at this," she said and led him over to her laptop. Hiei kneeled next to her and looked over her shoulder as she clicked through a few videos before settling on one.

"Think you can do that?" Kari challenged and looked over her shoulder at him, a mischievous glint in her eye. Hiei smirked and stood up. He was up for a challenge.

* * *

Genkai walked alone towards the north temple. It had been a couple of hours since Kari had departed the group and she felt the need to check on the girl. Also, she wanted a break from all the teenagers. With the storm still rolling onward, the group had decided to settle down with a movie and Genkai was in no mood to watch some silly romantic comedy. The old psychic halted when she heard a voice coming from the open door to the training hall.

_Is she talking to herself?_ Genkai wondered as she came to the door and peered in, careful not to be seen. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw that Kari was not alone. Kari and Hiei were standing facing one another, close but not enough to touch.

"Alright…" Kari turned away from him and shook out her shoulders. "Go!" She pushed back, like she would to do a back handspring, but Hiei caught her in the middle of the back with his open hand and pushed her upwards. Kari flipped vertically and Hiei shifted to catch her by the bottom of her feet, arms outstretched and locked, so she was standing on the palms of his hands. They stood still for a beat before Hiei released her feet and caught her again by the hips as she jumped down in front of him to land safely.

Genkai watched as Kari laughed and turned back to Hiei. The girl prattled on about the mechanics of the move and how they could shift to improve. Most surprising, not only was Hiei listening but he countered with his own observations.

Genkai tucked back around the door frame as the two set up to try another move. She stared out into the rain, confused for a moment. With a silent sigh, she turned back the way she had came and kept walking. There was no need to interfere with their…training.

* * *

"Ok, ready?" Kari asked. She was a few steps away from Hiei, who was crouched and ready to catch her. The demon gave her a curt nod, smirking. "Go!" Kari ran forward and right before she was set to leap into Hiei's outstretched palms, a crash of thunder rocked the mountain side and the training room plunged into darkness.

"Shit!" Kari yelped as she lost her focus and face planted right in front of Hiei. "Ow…" she grumbled into the floor. The demon suppressed a chuckle at her clumsiness and hoisted Kari up by the back of her shirt so she could get back to her feet.

"Aren't you graceful," he said sarcastically. Kari glared at him and blew some hair from her face.

"Whatever. Stupid rain. Ruins everything," Kari grumbled as she stepped to her laptop and flopped on the floor. "Urgh. It knocked out the internet." Kari muttered as she started closing her web browser and all her other running programs. Hiei came and crouched next to her, the two of them set aglow by the light of screen. Kari sighed and turned to Hiei.

"Looks like we're chilling until the lights come back on. Huh?" A twinkle to Hiei's left caught her eye and Kari leaned around him. The light from her laptop had caught the sparkle in Hiei's tear gem, which had slipped from the confines his pocket when he had sat down. "What's that?"

Hiei turned and felt a slight panic hitch in his chest when he, too, caught sight of the gem. He snatched up the necklace, clenching the gem in his palm. Kari let out a snort and Hiei cast a glare at her.

"Didn't take you for the jewelry type, Hiei," she said with a grin. Hiei scowled and shoved the necklace into his pocket.

"It was a gift," he retorted tensely.

"Oh, really? Girlfriend?" Kari asked as she closed the laptop screen and leaned back on her palms. Hiei glared at her curious gaze. Damn those green eyes.

"No."

"Is it from your sister?" Hiei crossed his arms and looked away.

"It's from my mother. She's dead," he ground out, not daring to look at the girl. He hoped dropping that bomb would deter the conversation.

Kari blinked and then turned back to the rain without responding. Hiei felt her energy shift ever so slightly and he cast a glance at her. The grin had slid from her face and been replaced with a sombre expression.

"It's nice you have something to remember her by," Kari said. She was silent a moment, staring pensively out into the storm. "I can barely remember what my mother looked like."

Hiei softened ever so slightly and shifted back towards Kari. He remembered Kari mentioning that her parents had died but he hadn't thought much of it. He could feel her energy changing.

"It was a really long time ago. They wanted to go for a drive and it was raining." Kari grimaced but did not turn her eyes from the open door and the storm beyond. "They didn't come back."

_She's sad,_ the little voice whispered through Hiei's mind. He could feel a trickle of empathy move through him, much like the tingle he always got when Kari entered his presence. _Comfort her, _the voice persisted.

Hiei wasn't sure if it was because they were still immersed in darkness or if it was the rain echoing on the roof; or even if it was simply because he couldn't stand to see Kari without a smile. Hiei placed his bandaged hand over her left one gently. Kari looked to him, surprised and a completely unused to this kind of contact. They didn't say anything but it was understood that there was a connection. They were both parentless children and they were lonely. Kari offered Hiei a small smile and looked back to the rain, her overall sadness evaporating. They stayed like that, the simple contact of their hands touching and looking out into the rain, until the lights returned.

It was a first for them both.

* * *

_Author's Note: Three chapters in three days?! I am on a roll! Please enjoy and leave a review!_


	8. Chapter 8

It took a lot to irritate Keiko but Kari was achieving just that. There she was, prancing about the yard next to the temple, snatching up small rocks and chucking them at her. Granted, Keiko was supposed to be summoning a shield of her spirit energy to deflect the rocks but it was so damned hot. Not that the sweltering heat seemed to be bugging Kari. While Keiko was practically drowning in sweat, courtesy of the scorching sun overhead, Kari acted like the heat wasn't bothering her at all.

"Focus, Keiko," Genkai said for the eightieth time as she sat on the walkway, fanning herself. Another rock pegged Keiko in the shoulder, her shield still not appearing. Keiko tried to concentrate but it was proving difficult with all her friends watching her. The whole gang was together, including Kurama, who had finally returned from his trip to demon world to follow up on the demons who had attacked a few months ago. Yukina and Botan were cheering Keiko on, shouting words of encouragement. Even Hiei was present, leaned against the side of the temple and quiet as ever but watching nonetheless. Keiko cursed the heat of the day again as Kari chucked another rock at her and the item bounced off her arm. Still no shield.

"C'mon, Keiko. You're making me look bad!" Yusuke catcalled from the sidelines. Keiko jerked her attention to her boyfriend, who was lounging in the shade with a tall glass of ice cold lemonade.

"Yusuke! Nobody asked your-OW!" Keiko halted the chastising of her childhood love when another rock struck her, this time in the side of the head. Fuming, Keiko turned her angry eyes on Kari, who had one hand slapped over her mouth and was trying not to laugh.

"Sorry!" she called through her giggles. Keiko huffed and focused all her frustration into willing her energy to manifest. Kari juggled a few rocks in her hand, looking for an opening. The fact the Kari had yet to break a sweat while Keiko was drenched fueled her further. Kari selected another rock and let it fly. Keiko watched the little pebble soar at her and, from somewhere deep inside, a translucent pink barrier burst to life in front of her. The rock collided with the energy shield and bounced back so hard that it flew back across the yard and smacked Kari right in the middle of her forehead. The force of the blow snapped Kari's head back and knocked the girl off her feet, leaving her sprawled on the ground.

"Oh god! Kari!" Keiko cried and pulled her hands up to cover her shield disappeared as quickly as it had come. Yusuke and Kuwabara hooted with laughter as Keiko rushed to Kari's side. Genkai smiled and closed her eyes while Botan and Yukina cheered.

"That was fairly impressive," Kurama commented from his seat. The red head cast a glance at Hiei in anticipation of some kind of response. Hiei didn't say anything; those red eyes were glued on the still downed Kari and it seemed as if Hiei had never heard Kurama at all.

Puzzled, Kurama turned back to see Keiko standing over Kari. _Is Hiei concerned?_

"Holy shit, that hurt," Kari muttered as she forced herself up, rubbing her head. There was no blood but she was gonna have one hell of a bruise.

"Kari! I'm so sorry! It was an accident!" Keiko gushed as she came to a stop over the girl. Kari looked up into her friend's worried face and grinned.

"Sorry?!" Kari jumped up, excitement rolling from her. "Keiko, that was amazing! You did it!" Kari laughed, not even angry. Keiko smiled for a moment but it faltered. She swayed for a second, shaking her head from the dizziness that overcame her.

"You need a break." Keiko looked back at her friend through half lidded eyes. Kari had her head cocked to the side and was examining her closely. "You look like crap." Keiko rolled her eyes.

"Geez, thanks." she retorted and turned her back on her friend. She was ready for a big ole glass of that lemonade.

"We're done for the day," Genkai said as the two girls joined the group on the temple walkway. Keiko nodded gratefully as she downed the glass of lemonade Yukina offered her. It had to be the best lemonade she had ever tasted.

"Alright! Beach time!" Yusuke shouted gleefully as he sprung up, pumping the air with his fist.

"Oh, yes; that sounds just wonderful! What with this dreadful heat, a dip in the ocean sounds marvelous!" Botan agreed and the gang all nodded.

"Sweet. I'm in," Kari added with a smile. She was ready for a little sand and sun.

"You most certainly are not," Hiei growled as he appeared behind her. "We are training so let's go."

"Aw, come on," Kari whined and turned to the demon. "Can't we take the day off? Please?" she begged, green eyes twinkling with pleading.

"Hn. You obviously need more training if you can't even defend against a rock," Hiei countered and fixed her with a glare. Kari crossed her arms and glared right back, the innocent act falling away.

"I was just surprised. It was a fluke!" Kari proclaimed, earning a growl from the demon. She sighed. "If we go to the beach today, we can train twice as long tomorrow. Deal?" The group looked between the two, waiting to see who would win out. Hiei tried to stare the girl down but Kari was adamant.

"Fine," he replied with a smirk "But we are training from sun up to sun down tomorrow." Kari grinned at him with a sugary sweet smile. With Kari and Hiei's decision made, the group all began to speak at once, deciding who was to grab what and how long it would be before they made their short trek to the shore.

Kurama was watching Hiei and Kari closely. Their exchange hadn't seemed all that strange to the others so what had he missed while he was away? Even now Kari was still chatting with the demon happily as they walked towards their rooms to gather what they would need.

_This could be troubling._

* * *

"Ah! Now this is what summer vacation is all about!" Kuwabara exclaimed as he broke the surface of the water. Yusuke, with a mischievous grin, canonballed into the water and sent a huge splash in Kuwabara's direction. The carrot top glared at the ex-spirit detective and spit out a mouthful of salt water. "Dang it, Urameshi! That was uncalled for!"

While the two teenage boys rough housed in the water, the rest of the group was setting up on the shore. Keiko and Yukina were spreading out a large blanket and placing their bags at the corners to keep it from flying away. The two couldn't help but smile at their childish boyfriends.

"Really? Those two couldn't wait for the rest of us?" Botan groused as she set down a bag and placed her hands on her hips. Kari laughed behind her as she set down her own bag and threw out a towel, laying it across the sand.

"You really expected the dummies to lend a hand with anything?"

"Well, not really, but look! Even Hiei was nice enough to help!" Botan gestured to the aforementioned demon who was setting down a large cooler. He was shirtless and barefoot, only wearing swim trunks. Botan looked between Kari and Hiei and grinned. "Looks like you two are matching today."

Kari and Hiei shared a glance and realized it was true. Hiei was wearing black swim trunks and Kari was wearing a black two piece swimsuit with a pair of black shorts over the bottoms. Kari cocked an eyebrow at Hiei and grinned.

"I guess one of us is gonna have to change," she joked. Hiei rolled his eyes at her.

"Well, I'm not going back to the temple," he muttered and shot her a smirk. Kari grinned and continued to set up the 'camp.'

"Keiko! Get your butt out here!" Yusuke hollered from the water, waving his arms dramatically to garner her attention.

"Come on, Yukina!" Keiko laughed as she started to pull the ice apparition towards the water. "Kari, you coming?"

"Nah, I'm gonna hang here," she replied with a smile. "Water's not really my thing." Keiko shrugged and started for the water with Yukina and Botan in tow.

"If you didn't want to swim, then why are we here?" Hiei questioned.

"Because I wanted a day off and you need to be more social," Kari retorted with a smug grin. "Go on. Go make sure no one drowns. And play nice!" she commanded with a little shove to his back. Hiei cast her one last look before he walked to the shore line.

"You two sure are getting along." Kari turned and came face to face with Kurama. The fox set down his own armload of stuff and offered Kari a sincere smile. "It looks like all your training has been paying off."

"Thanks. Hiei's been kicking my ass all summer so I hope I've shown a little improvement," she said as she settled herself onto her towel and pulled a pair of sunglasses out of her bag. Kurama took his own seat and continued.

"I was able to get a few answers regarding the demons who attacked from some sources in Gandara."

"That's Yomi's territory, right?" Kurama cast Kari a look. Kari shrugged and waved a hand towards Hiei.

"Hiei's told me about demon world and stuff. So what did you find out?"

"Well," Kurama started and looked back to his friend. Hiei was darting along the edge of the water, not getting in but pegging Yusuke and Kuwabara in the head with seashells he found while the two boys were trying to splash him. "...it appears that the group that attacked has been disbanded. The leaders were linked back to a demon named Raisho but it appears he has vanished."

"So, should we still be worried?"

"No, I think everything will be fine from now on," Kurama stood and looked down at the girl. "You could probably go home. I'm sure your grandmother is missing you." Kari peeked up at Kurama over the top of her shades. She couldn't tell if his eyes were really looking that serious or if it was just the sun behind him creating shadows. Before Kari could respond, Hiei appeared on her other side and he was soaking wet.

"What the hell happened to you?" Kari laughed at his disgruntled face. Hiei seated himself beside her and glared.

"Yusuke and Kuwabara, that's what happened," he retorted and shook out his drooping hair. Kari flinched back and tried to block the worst of the spray with her hands. While she was still laughing, Hiei fixed Kurama with a stare and the two had a brief moment of tension.

"I think I will go enjoy the water myself," Kurama conceded. "Excuse me." Kari flipped her hair over one shoulder and shifted her sunglasses back on properly.

"I don't think he likes me very much," she admitted and watched as Kurama joined the group.

"What did he say to you?" Kari sighed and leaned back on her hands.

"He was just saying that the demons that attacked have disappeared and he thinks it would be safe to go home now." Kari replied, frowning at the sand. "It wasn't so much what he said but how he said it. Like I shouldn't be here."

"Hn. Kurama's just worried about you losing control over your powers. You have improved since coming here so he doesn't really have a solid basis for that concern." Hiei replied, eyeing the red head in the water. Kari bumped her shoulder against his and Hiei turned to her.

"Why, Hiei! That may just be the nicest thing you've said all week," she half laughed with a hand over her heart and a doe-eyed smile. Hiei smirked back at her.

"You're a sarcastic bitch."

"Eh, true; but you like my company, you stubborn demon." Kari laughed and laid back on the towel, pulling her hands behind her head and staring up at the sky. It was silent for a few minutes before Hiei spoke again.

"Will you return home?" Kari glanced towards him but she couldn't see his face; Hiei was staring out at their friends.

"Aw, what? You gonna miss me?" she joked. Kari waited for a scathing retort but Hiei didn't say anything. Just as Kari was starting to wonder if Hiei really would miss her if she left, Yusuke came barreling up to them, flinging water and sand everywhere.

"Kari! We're gonna set up the volleyball net! Wanna play?" the ex-detective asked, all smiles and good times. Kari glanced at Yusuke over the top of of her glasses and returned his grin with one of her own.

"Sure, I'll take you on. Wanna play teams?"

"Yeah! Me and Kuwabara versus you and...uh, who's gonna play with you?" Yusuke questioned, pointing at her. Kari just jerked her thumb over at Hiei and Yusuke balked. "Huh? Hiei?!"

"Just what makes you think I wanna play some stupid game with you and those two morons?" the demon asked, looking at Kari pointedly.

"1.) It's fun; 2.) you're bored; and 3.) I'm pretty sure if we beat Kuwabara, he might cry," Kari replied, ticking off each point on a finger. "Although, if you would rather sit here all by your lonesome, I could always ask Keiko." Hiei narrowed his eyes at her and pushed himself to his feet.

"As enjoyable as it would be to see you and Keiko get beaten by Yusuke, it would be even more so to defeat him and Kuwabara myself." Kari grinned and jumped up herself, hands on her hips.

"Looks like we got a game, Yusuke!" Yusuke looked back and forth between the two, sweating. In their matching black swimsuits and those cocky grins plastered on their faces, Kari and Hiei looked kinda formidable.

Suddenly, he was regretting this decision.

* * *

The game was tied, four to four. Yusuke and Kuwabara had started strong but, once Hiei and Kari had figured out their strategy, the two had quickly lost their lead.

"All right! Game point!" Botan shouted from the sidelines. "Kari serves." Kari had the ball balanced in one palm and she was looking carefully for a weak spot on the other side of the net. Hiei cast a quick glance back at her, signaling he was ready. Kari lobbed the ball high and smacked it with the flat of her hand as it swung back down. Hiei darted forward and hit the ball as it started to come down, knocking it over the net. Yusuke dove forward and bumped the ball up before crashing into the sand. Kuwabara barely returned the ball but it did go sailing back over the net. The two teams kept at it for a few minutes, neither garnering a point.

The girls were all cheering for their friends, Botan being the loudest. Kurama was cheering but watching Kari and Hiei intently.

_Hiei has never been one for team work, _he thought as he watched. _He's acting so...friendly towards Kari. More so than he usually would._

The ball was back on the boys' side. Kuwabara passed it towards Yusuke, who lobbed it high and used the sun as a blinder.

_They'll never catch that!_ he thought triumphantly as the ball disappeared in the light of the sun. But the brunette hadn't taken into account Kari and Hiei's skills.

"Hiei!" Kari called as she bolted towards the demon at full speed. Hiei smirked, knowing what she wanted to do. He pivoted towards her and took a knee, his hands cupped in front of him. Kari kept her speed, placed her foot into his hands and let the demon throw her upwards.

Everyone gasped as they saw Kari sail up into the air. It was like the world had suddenly slowed down as they watched her. Kari twisted herself in midair and flipped herself backwards so she caught the ball with the top of her foot, kicking it and sending it sailing back over the net and directly into the sand. Her flip continued backwards until she was parallel to the ground and coming down fast. She looked like she would crash into the sand but Hiei was there to catch her.

"What...the hell...just happened?" Kuwabara whimpered as he looked at the ball at his feet.

"You just got your ass handed to you, that's what!" Kari crowed and flipped Yusuke and Kuwabara a double bird from her position still in Hiei's arms. The demon was smirking as well and he gently set her down on her feet, while she gloated.

"You were right, I think he is going to cry," Hiei said snarkily and crossed his arms.

"I am not! I just have sand in my eyes," Kuwabara retorted and rubbed viciously at his face. The group laughed and the girls came to join them all on the court; Keiko and Yukina consoled the two defeated boys while Botan tried to glomp Kari.

Kurama was not so quick to join the celebration. He was still watching Hiei, noticing how he was looking at Kari with...warmth? He was concerned and he needed to talk to his friend. He had to make sure that Hiei understood the situation at hand.

* * *

The walk back from the shore was pleasant. Kari was still feeling great from her's and Hiei's victory over Yusuke and Kuwabara. Kurama was watching the former two now, with Kari talking excitedly to the demon and Hiei, appearing, to be listening intently. When the group reached the temple, Kari left to take a shower and Kurama took the opportunity to corner Hiei.

"You two seem to be getting along," Kurama said, effectively stopping HIei from entering the temple after the group. Hiei cocked an eyebrow at his friend.

"What?"

"You and Kari. I must say, that move you guys pulled off to beat Yusuke and Kuwabara was quite impressive. Looks like you have been training more than just her control." Hiei scoffed and looked away. Kurama knew he was going to have to try harder. "Hiei," the demon looked back at him, trying to appear uninterested. "Kari is human."

"I am completely aware of that, Kurama," Hiei said with just a hint of annoyance. Whatever happened between Kari and Hiei when they were alone was their business and no one else's.

"I just want you to remember that. With the way things are in the demon world right now, it would be unwise to put any humans in danger. No matter the reason." Hiei subtly bristled at the comment and Kurama couldn't help but notice.

"The girl is simply a distraction to alleviate my boredom until I return to the demon world. After all, you said it yourself: a fire weidling human is extremely rare." And with that HIei flashed out of site. Kurama was unsure of what to make of Hiei's actions. He would need to watch his friend closely and Kari even closer.

* * *

After her shower, Kari was feeling all fresh and clean in a pair of gray shorts and a black cut off t-shirt. She entered her room and was towel drying her hair when she noticed her phone blinking on her nightstand. She looked at the display to see she had several missed calls and a new voicemail from a number she was not familiar with.

Kari shrugged and held the phone to her ear to listen to the message. As the voicemail played on, Kari felt her chest tighten and a sense of panic creep into her.

"Keiko?! Keiko!" Kari shouted as she jumped into action, grabbing and throwing clothes, her phone charger, and wallet into her backpack. "Keiko!"

"What?" Keiko asked as she popped her head into her room. She became concerned at the frazzled look on her friend's face. "Kari? What's wrong?"

"My...my gram! She's at the hospital. I...I gotta go back to the city. Now." Kari said as she threw the backpack over her shoulder and bolted out the door, blowing past Keiko. "When does the last train leave?" Keiko scurried to keep up with her hurrying friend.

"At 7:00, I think. Do you want me to come with you?"

"Shit! That's less than 20 minutes!" Kari cursed and picked up her pace. Yusuke poked his head out of the living room door, a slice of pizza in one hand.

"What's all the yelling about?"

"I have to get to the city and the last train leaves soon! Keiko can fill you in!" Kari yelled as she jumped off the walkway and bolted for the temple gates. "I'll call later!"

"Kari, wait!" Keiko called but her friend had already disappeared down the stairs. Yusuke looked from where Kari had disappeared to his girlfriend.

"What's got her all fired up?" Keiko shot him a glare.

"Not the time, Yusuke."

* * *

Kari was taking the stairs four at a time. Her palms were burning but she couldn't waste any precious time to pull her emergency gloves out of her backpack now.

"Shit, shit, shit." she muttered as she finally leapt the last few steps, tucking into a ninja roll and pushing herself into a run. She still had at least a half mile to the train station and she was running out of time. Kari broke into a sprint, all her focus on reaching the train station. She barely noticed the tingle that accompanied Hiei's presence run down her spine before the demon appeared in front of her. Eyes wide, she slid to a stop before she could crash into him.

"Hiei! God, you scared me!" Kari cried as she tried to sidestep the demon.

"Where are you going?" Hiei demanded and pushed himself back into her path, arms crossed. Kari balked.

"The city. I can't expla-Hiei, please! I'm gonna miss the train!" Kari cried as she bolted around the demon and resumed her sprint. Hiei, not one to be deterred, sprang into step with her and kept stride.

"What's so important you can't wait until tomorrow?"

"My gram was admitted to the hospital about two hours ago. I have to go check on her! Damn it!" Kari pushed herself faster. "The train leaves in like 5 minutes!"

Suddenly, the world disappeared beneath her feet and, for the second time that day, Kari found herself cradled in Hiei's arms. Hiei pushed into his demon speed and the world blurred past them. Before Kari could process what was happening, they had arrived at the train station with just minutes to spare. Hiei set Kari on her feet and pushed her towards the platform.

"Go," was all he said. Kari looked back to her demon friend and smiled warmly at him.

"Thank you, Hiei." and then she was jogging to the platform. Hiei pulled back into the treeline and watched as Kari bought her ticket and boarded the train. He saw her through the window of the train, talking on the phone and fiddling with a lock of hair nervously. He watched her until the train started up and pulled away from the station and disappeared into the distance. Then, as the sunset glowed crimson across the mountain side, he leapt into the trees to make his way back to Genkai's temple. Hiei would never admit it, but the vision of Kari's grateful smile burned behind his eyelids every time he closed his eyes that night.

* * *

It had been two days since Kari had departed from the temple and the news that her grandmother had been hospitalized. She had texted and called her friends with updates, fervently turning down their offers to come to the city and claiming she would return as soon as her gram was strong enough to go home.

Kari's absence weighed on the group. After the first day, Keiko's training came to a standstill. She couldn't focus while Kari was away. Hiei, who usually did not spend a lot of time with the group, could now be found on the windowsill in the living room every evening. On the outside, he appeared to just be relaxing and completely uninterested, but he was really listening for any news about his training companion.

On the third day, just as the sun was coming up, Keiko awoke to her phone buzzing.

"Hello?"

"Hey," Kari's voice whispered through the speaker. "I know it's early but…" she trailed off and Keiko sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Silence. "Kari?"

"My gram...she died. Last night." Keiko felt her chest hitch. "She just…"

"Kari, I'm...I'm so sorry. Do you want me to come to the city?"

On the other end of the line, Kari's clutched her cell phone in a gloved hand and her hair hung across her face.

"Would you? I...I just need to stay at your place...for a few days." Kari took a deep breath. "Don't bring everyone though. Please."

"Yeah, ok." Keiko said as she pulled herself from her bed. A glance to her alarm clock showed that it was only six thirty. "I'll catch the first train out. We can meet up at the diner, ok?"

"Thanks, Keiko. I'll see you later." and Kari hung up. Keiko sniffed and wiped a few tears from her eyes as she grabbed some clothes.

Little did she know that Hiei was crouched in a tree, not too far from the temple, and had used his Jagan to listen in on the entire conversation. He opened his red eyes and stood on the branch, re-covering the Jagan with his bandana. Unsure what to do, Hiei vanished into the forest. He needed to train and think.

* * *

_Author's note: NEXT CHAPTER COMING SOON!  
_


	9. Chapter 9

Keiko had tried everything but Kari just would not smile. Even now, she was ignoring her friends and staring out the train window.

It had been almost two weeks since Kari's grandmother had passed on. Kari had been staying with Keiko since the small funeral and in all that time, Keiko had not seen her friend even remotely crack a smile. Kari just slept, ate, and sat in the diner; she didn't even want to go running.

Many people had come out to show respect to Kari's grandmother and they all felt the need to come to Kari and express their condolences. Keiko watched her friend interact with each individual, showing no emotion and only murmuring the barest of replies. Kari had worn a pair of black silk gloves she had so long gone without and continued to wear them now. She didn't let on how stifling they were.

All of Kari's friends had been there to support her, even Hiei, but after everyone had left Kari just seemed more empty. Keiko remembered how hard it had been for Kari to stay in the empty house and insisted that Kari come home with her and the group back to the temple. Kari had simply agreed with none of her usual energy. She was so...stoic.

_Maybe some time at Genkai's will help. _Keiko thought to herself. Yusuke and Kuwabara were too busy playing some video game on Kuwabara's new nintendo to pay much attention to the girls.

"Hey, Kari, just wait until you see how much progress I've made since the last time we came to Genkai's," Keiko tried, plastering a smile on her face. She was determined to make her friend feel better.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, sure." Kari replied. Before Keiko could continue, Kari let out a breath and hauled herself from her seat. "I'm gonna go to the dining car for a soda. You guys want anything?" Keiko shook her head 'no' while Yusuke and Kuwabara ran off a list of sugary snacks they wanted, not even pulling their eyes from the screen. Kari left silently, tugging the hood of her sleeveless jacket over her black tresses.

Keiko looked down at her hands, defeated.

"Just give her some time, Keiko," the brunette glanced at boyfriend, who had looked up from the game to smile at her. "Kari's gonna be fine. She just needs a chance to grieve in her own way." Keiko looked out the window as Yusuke dove back into the game.

_I sure hope so._

* * *

"Kari! Welcome back," Yukina chirped as the four teenagers topped the staircase. Kari tossed a half-hearted smile that didn't meet her eyes and a nod to the ice apparition before proceeding to the temple. Behind her, Kuwabara instantly began gushing and fawning over Yukina. In truth, Kari was a little relieved that Yukina hadn't attacked her with sentiments as so many others had recently done but even as the small amount of relief started to alleviate the tightness in her chest, a pang entered her heart and heat flooded her finger tips.

_Control. Breath,_ she thought and urged the heat back. The pain in her heart, however, was not so easily quelled.

_Gone. Alone. _Those two awful thoughts circled Kari's mind viciously and pushed at her waning veil of peace.

_ Control. Breath._

The words were so busy swirling through her mind that Kari didn't notice Botan's obnoxious voice until the blue haired deity had wrapped both arms around her.

"Oh, Kari, I'm so sorry about your Gran. She really was an A+ lady and I promise that her passage to- OW!" Botan jolted back as heat coursed into her arms and left bright red whelps. Botan blew on the burns, tears gathering in her eyes. Kari jumped back and heat swirled to her hands. The gloves started to smoke as the flames tried to escape her palms. Kari normally would have felt bad about the burns, but she was too busy retreating into the kitchen, her mantra of _'Control. Breath.'_ getting lost in her flood of emotions.

"Kari,hello! Nice to see you back." Kari pulled herself from her reverie to find Kurama and Genkai sitting at the table, a pot of tea between them. Kurama smiled softly, reassuringly, and Genkai gave her a nod in greeting.

"Yeah, hi," she muttered. _Damn, can't I have five seconds alone!_ She just barely hid her singed gloved hands behind her back while Botan's whimpers turned to joyous cries of welcome as Keiko and the boys entered the other room. A small flurry of panic surged inside her. _No, no more people. Control. Breath. _

"Hm. Dinner will be ready in a few hours," Genkai offered from behind her tea cup. "You can use the same room as last time. I'm pretty sure Yukina put new sheets on the bed for you." The master took a sip.

Kari sighed lightly and could have hugged the old woman. "Thanks, Master Genkai," she replied sincerely before vanishing out the door to the yard.

Kurama and Genkai shared a look over their tea but made no remarks on the girl's behavior. They both knew how the loss of someone you loved could affect you and that Kari just needed space.

* * *

Kari was almost to her room, somewhere she could be alone, when an all too familiar tingle worked its way down her spine. She knew he was there, leaning against the wall by her door, but the usual relief and happiness that welcomed the sight of Hiei didn't come this time. She only felt another ping of distress flood her chest and echo to her fingers. Kari stuffed her hands into her pockets and avoided his eyes. _Don't let him see. _

"You're back," Hiei stated in his cool tone, giving nothing away. Kari didn't reply with anything but a short nod. She stepped around Hiei to her door with every intention of going in and not coming out until she had slept for a few hours. Hiei's voice stopped her.

"You're slipping," he remarked. Damn it, she couldn't get anything past him. Hiei could feel the angry, desperate heat radiating from her. In a flash, Hiei had jerked her arm from her side and glared at the gloves with distaste. "You need more training."

"Not now, Hiei. We will train later, ok?" Kari kept her head down, afraid to meet his gaze, to see his eyes or let him see hers.

"Hn. You've been suppressing your power. You need-"

"I need some damn sleep, alright!" Kari suddenly argued, cutting Hiei off as she yanked her arm away and stepped into her room. She didn't give Hiei a chance at a scathing retort before the door slid shut behind her with a resounding SMACK! Kari leaned her back against the door, the cool wood unable to penetrate her jacket. After a few moments, Kari felt Hiei's energy leave and move into the woods. Heaving a sigh of relief, she threw herself onto the bed, too tired to even pull the covers over herself. The last two weeks had drained her emotionally and physically. Her grandmother, her only family, was gone and she had been so busy being a "courteous, grieving hostess" that her powers had been surging from her concealed emotions. Between all the social calls and the funeral, Kari had been given almost zero time alone. No time to flex her powers or even to go for a run. No time to be herself, her true self. In an effort to keep from being overly destructive, she has regressed to her old ways. Hiding and fearing her own strength.

Kari curled up and stared at the wall. She couldn't cry; not without loosing control and accidently setting anything on fire. She closed her eyes and willed herself to think of nothing.

_Gone. Alone._

_ Control. Breath._

* * *

Hiei had felt her distress at the funeral. He had seen those disgusting gloves that she had worn the first time they met. The gloves that kept her flaming palms concealed. That kept her true self hidden from the world. He hated those damned gloves. He was angry at her for wearing them then and even more just now.

Not that he would ever admit it, but Kari's absence all this time had begun to pick at him. The first few days, he had continued as he normally did: training. However, he kept feeling like something was missing. It wasn't until he had passed by the temple training hall one night on his way to his room that it dawned on him. He had come to miss her. He was missing her snarky outbursts and wild manner. Sometimes, he had even found himself throwing some stupid trick she had shown him while training simply out of habit.

Hiei masked his energy and circled back to the temple. He needed to be close by. _In case she loses control, _he told himself.

_In case she needs me, _whispered the other voice. Hiei shook it off. He only needed to ensure that Kari wouldn't accidentally set a fire and hurt Yukina or his friends in the temple. _Or herself, _the tiny voice persisted.

Hiei settled into a tree close to the branch of the temple where Kari's room was. The Jagan glowed beneath the bandana and Hiei saw Kari curled on her futon with his mind's eye. She didn't stir or sit up, showing that she knew of his mental presence, so Hiei knew she slept.

He opened his ruby eyes and sat with his back against the tree trunk. He would keep watch and make sure that Kari slept on. As he closed his eyes, a thought crossed his mind.

_She didn't look at me._

A tremor of unsettling disappointment rippled through him. Memories of Kari's odd green eyes flooded his mind. Controlled and fearful from the first few weeks they had known one another. Then smiling and playful once Kari had started to exercise her abilities freely, without worry or restraint. Confident when they had played volleyball at the beach; complete trust when she had landed in his arms that same afternoon.

Hiei's eyes wandered back to the door of Kari's room. _She didn't want me to see her as weak. _

* * *

Dinner had come and gone and Kari was still sleeping. Keiko had gone to ask if she wanted to eat but her friend had looked to be sleeping so peacefully that she had not dared to wake her. Keiko had simply pulled a cover over Kari and left her to rest.

"Kari is still resting?" Kurama asked as Keiko returned to the large living room. Keiko just nodded and returned to her seat next between Botan and Yukina. Everyone was present, except Hiei and Kari. Yusuke and Kuwabara were setting up a card game, Kurama watching them, and Genkai was seated in her favorite chair, tea in hand.

"She wasn't hungry at all?" Yukina tried, handing a tea cup to Keiko.

"I didn't wake her," Keiko said, taking the cup from Yukina but not drinking. "I don't know what to do."

Everyone seemed somber for a moment.

"Oh, Keiko. Kari will be ok," Botan offered, smiling. "All we can do is remind her of how much we all love her. Wait, that's it!" Botan bolted from the couch, excitement pouring from her in waves. "We will give Kari the best day ever!" Botan waited for the awed response which never came.

"Botan, I'm pretty sure Kari just wants some time to herself, ya know?" Yusuke offered. Everyone nodded their agreement but Botan persisted.

"It's been almost two weeks! I _am_ the Grim Reaper, you know. I think I know when someone needs to grieve and when they need some good, ole fashioned cheering up. Keiko, you agree, right?"

"Well, I-um," Keiko stammered. "I don't _think_ it could hurt. But what exactly would we do?"

"We can do makeovers!" Botan exclaimed, images of finger nail painting and hair braiding traipsing through her mind.

"Yeah, that's no good, Botan. Kari isn't exactly the girly-girl type," Kuwabara said, causing Botan's day dreams to evaporate. "She would probably like to free-run tomorrow or something."

"Or we could have a video game marathon," Yusuke offered with a cheeky grin.

"The only ones who like that are you and Kuwabara," Keiko replied and shot her boyfriend a teasing smile. "I think getting her outside is great but we need something we can all do together. Not all of us can pull of her crazy Parkour stuff."

"Why don't we go back to the beach tomorrow? Kari seemed to like that," Yukina said softly. Everyone nodded in agreement, murmuring plans for a cook-out and assignments as to who would be responsible for what.

"All right! To the beach!" Botan cheered. Keiko grinned at each of her friends. They finally had a plan.

* * *

The next morning, it rained. A heavy down pour fell all over the mountain and put out any hopes of the group heading for the shore.

"Well, the forecast says it will be raining all day and into the evening," Keiko reported as she entered the kitchen. Yukina was busy preparing breakfast, already dressed for the day in a pink dress and her hair in a braid. Botan sat at the table, still in her pajamas and hair curlers, and Keiko joined her.

"Aw! What a bust!" Botan groaned and laid her head on her crossed arms. "Now what?"

Kari's entrance interrupted any reply Keiko would have offered. Dressed only in black shorts and a t-shirt, but no gloves, she looked bedraggled and grumpy. Really grumpy. Rain was not her thing.

The three girls offered "hello"s and "good morning"s but Kari just replied with a wave and turned to the coffee maker.

"Stupid rain," she muttered as she poured herself a cup of the piping hot coffee. The burn felt good on her tongue and the heat from the coffee expanded into her chest like a welcomed hug. Relief.

"Kari, I made french toast for you," Yukina offered the girl a plate stacked high with the sugary breakfast. Kari almost smiled, the corners of her mouth not turning up quite all the way, and took the plate with a "thanks."

"Would you like some fruit or anything?" Keiko asked as Kari sat her plate and mug down at the table.

"Nah. I just need some syrup."

"Aren't you worried about gaining weight from all that sugar?" Botan inquired as Kari pulled a half full bottle of buttery-syrup from the fridge. Kari frowned and lifted her shirt to show her flat, toned mid-drift. Cocking an eyebrow, Kari looked down at her stomach and back to Botan.

"I think I'm good." Keiko and Yukina smiled to one another. 'Sassy Kari' was a good sign. Botan just stuck out her tongue as Kari took her seat and drowned her french toast in the syrupy goodness.

"So, Kari, have any plans for today?" Botan asked as Kari stuffed a huge bite of food into her mouth. Not deigning to speak around her tasty food, Kari just shook her head 'no' and continued chewing.

"Well, we were thinking of maybe doing make-overs," Kari passed an unamused look from Keiko to Botan.

"No, thanks," she replied and took another gulp of hot coffee.

"Aw, come on. Please?" Botan begged. Kari glanced to Keiko and Yukina and their hopeful eyes broke her resolve. _Damn it, can't a girl just spend the day in solitude?_

"Urgh…fine. But I don't do nails, a'ight?" Botan cheered and Keiko touched Kari's arm in a loving manner.

_Maybe I need a little girl time, _Kari thought as she took another bite of french toast._ How bad could it be?_

"What's up, bitch?" Yusuke dodged Keiko's smack and leaned on the back of Kari's chair, a grin splitting his face. "You missed me kicking Kuwabara's ass at video games last night."

"Hey, that's not fair, Urameshi! I won a few rounds," Kuwabara half yelled as he trailed in behind Yusuke. Both boys were already dressed in t-shirts and jeans.

"Psh. Well, we'll just have to re-match and Kari plays winner!" Yusuke and Kuwabara looked to Kari expectantly. Botan jumped in before Kari could reply.

"Actually, we are having some girl time so your little game competition will just have to wait. Girls, let's go!" Botan grabbed Kari and Yukina by the elbows and bolted, Keiko following behind.

"Hey! I'm not done with my breakfast! Botan?!" Yusuke and Kuwabara watched as Kari was dragged away on a sea of estrogen.

"Poor girl. Never had a chance," Yusuke said and Kuwabara solemnly nodded in agreement.

* * *

The rain had driven Hiei inside and he was annoyed. He usually would have retreated to the room he occupied when the gaggle of girls had entered the previously silent living room but when he saw Kari with them he didn't move. The tingle that came with her presence coursed through him and Hiei couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit of relief that she wasn't wearing her gloves. Kari glanced to him, her eyes widened when they met his. She set her mouth into a bemused line and tilted her head toward Botan.

_Help me!_ Her gaze screamed. Hiei just smirked and settled in to watch Kari be tormented by the combs and ribbons that Botan was insisting go in her hair.

"Kari, this green ribbon would go so well with your eyes! Let me braid it in!" Botan exclaimed as she produced a long silk ribbon. Hiei watched from the corner of his eye as Botan started to brush and braid Kari's long hair, twining the ribbon in between the strands expertly.

_It does match her eyes. _Hiei scowled at the thought and pushed it away. Glancing back towards the giggling girls, he saw Kari fidgeted while Botan ran her fingers through her black locks and a pang of jealousy ran through Hiei's chest. _It's looks so...soft. _Hiei shook the thoughts away and glared back out the window. Apparently, two weeks away from the girl had made him somewhat sentimental. He looked back at her and furrowed his brow, trying to understand his own thoughts.

Kari tossed her glance sideways and caught the demon's eye. She cocked an eyebrow at his weird look. _What's he thinking about so hard?_

"Yukina, I think we could use some tea," Botan said around a mouthful of bobby pins. The ice apparition smiled and rose from her seat behind Keiko, whose hair she had been braiding.

"I'll help," Keiko added. The two left to fetch the refreshments leaving only Botan, Kari, and Hiei; although, the latter was doing everything he could not to seem interested.

"You really have such beautiful hair, Kari," Botan gushed. "You should do something with it more often."

"You just want an excuse to fiddle with it more, Botan," Kari retorted as she tapped her fingers on her legs. The absence of the gloves was liberating and Kari was just about ready to make her excuses and go to the training hall for a little "exercise."

"But look how pretty you are with your hair like this," Botan thrust the mirror in front of Kari's face to show off the half done French braid. Kari turned her head to the side and could see the green ribbon glinting against her black hair.

"Um...yeah, sure." Kari replied, mildly surprised. Botan pursed her lips.

"Well, maybe you just need another opinion. Hiei!" Botan turned her bright pink eyes to the window. Hiei cast a sidelong glance at the two. "Doesn't Kari look great with her hair like this?" Hiei turned his head to look. The ribbon and braid fell to one side and framed Kari's pale face. Botan was right about the ribbon; it did bring out the green in her eyes. But the braid looked too controlled, too smooth. _It looks better free. _

"Hn." Hiei grunted and turned back to the window, not daring to voice his opinion out loud. Botan scowled and returned to braiding.

"Well, I know who would have loved to see your hair this way. Your gran." Hiei jerked his head back to see Kari's shoulders tense. Botan seemed oblivious to the reaction her statement had caused and continued to prattle on. "She really was a classy lady and I know you must miss her terribly." Kari's fingers clenched on her thighs. So much for liberating! Kari silently berated herself for leaving the gloves tucked away on her nightstand this morning. Hiei could feel the heat rising in the room and the fire in the fireplace, which had been lit to ward away the chill the rain had brought, started to jump.

"Thanks, Botan," Kari growled through clenched teeth, hoping the insincere sentiment would shut Botan up. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to breath but Botan was not to be stopped.

"It's always hard to lose people you love.."

_Gone. Alone. _

_Control. Breath. _

"...and it's ok to be sad..."

The fire jumped again and Hiei watched as Kari began to lose the battle for control.

_Gone. Alone. Breathe. Control. _

_ Shut up!_

Botan was oblivious to the waves of emotion rolling from the girl but Hiei could feel it all. Anger, sadness, and heat. So much heat.

"Botan," Hiei warned but the deity plowed on without hearing.

"...but you should know," Botan placed her hands on Kari's shoulders in a manner that was meant to be comforting but to Kari only seemed oppressing. "Everything will be ok."

"Shut up," Kari ground out as she jerked herself away from Botan's grasp. Keiko and Yukina chose that moment to return. Keiko picked up on the tense situation and looked to Kari's strained face.

"What's going on?"

_Gone. Alone. _

_Control. Breathe. _

"Kari, you need to talk about this." Botan pushed sternly. The fire spun and shook in the fireplace. Kari's hands were burning, the flames beginning to form under duress. _Why don't I have my gloves?_ Kari growled to herself. She needed an out and fast.

"Botan, that's enough," Keiko warned. "Kari doesn't have to talk about anything."

_Control. Breathe. _

"Keiko, she won't heal if she doesn't let it out."

_Gone. Alone. Control. Don't lose control. _

Yukina's eyes shifted to the moving fire and she instinctively stepped back. "Kari?"

Hiei tensed and prepared to get between Yukina and the flames if he had to. He looked to Kari. _She's going to lose it. _He sat up and placed one foot on the floor. He was ready to move.

"Just talk to us, Kari."

"Leave her alone."

"Kari?"

"SHUT UP!" The flames came to life in her hands in time with her outburst. The hearth jumped and flared, making the girls flinch away to avoid being burned. Hiei moved to push forward but paused. He could see her face from his position by the window but the girls couldn't. A tear worked its way down Kari's cheek.

Kari's eyes jerked open and she spun around to let her friends have it but the angry retort halted on her lips. Fear and apprehension reflected in all their eyes. Fear of her. Shocked, Kari turned to Hiei for help and saw amazement in his eyes. _The fuck?! _Then she felt it. Another tear leaked from her eye and worked down her cheek. The flames in her palm surged and Kari began to panic. A quick glance to the left and, there! The door to the yard was standing open from Keiko and Yukina's return. She was running for the exit before anyone could react. _They saw! He saw! Get out! Get away! _her mind screamed. Kurama was entering the room with Master Genkai as Kari bolted past them.

"What the-? Kari!" Kurama called as the girl dashed out into the rain. Fire sprung up from her bare feet and the rain doused it almost immediately. She ran for the low rope fence, jumped it easily, and disappeared among the trees.

"Kari, wait!" Keiko cried but is was too late. Kari was gone from sight and had only left some burned patches of grass in her wake.

"What the hell happened in here?!" Genkai demanded. The floor was singed in several places and the fire had left ugly black scorches along the stone wall beside it. Keiko rounded on Botan, angry.

"Botan! Why would you do something like that? Why couldn't you just leave it alone?" Keiko screamed. Botan balked.

"I...I was just trying to help, Keiko."

"Well, you just made it worse!" Yukina placed a comforting hand on Keiko's shoulder. Keiko shrugged it away and turned to the open door. Rain was falling in torrents and showed no sign of slowing.

Kurama intervened then. "Kari will come back soon. She just needs a little time to compose herself." Keiko sighed.

"I guess. I just don't want her to get hurt out there."

"She's tougher than she looks. I wouldn't be too worried." Genkai added. Keiko just nodded and looked down in defeat.

"Well, if she had just talked about how she felt, none of this would have happened," Botan muttered. Keiko rounded on her friend.

"Ya know what, Botan? I-" they all jumped at the sound of a window smacking open. When they turned to the source, they saw nothing but the empty windowsill that Hiei had so recently occupied and the window swinging outward on its hinges.

* * *

Kari didn't know where she was running to and she really didn't care. The rain pelting down, cold from the approaching autumn season, went unnoticed. As did the series of black patches of grass where her bare feet had landed and set fire to the earth. The tears streaming down her face, though; they only served to fuel Kari into running harder, faster.

_Gone. Alone. Get out, get out!_

_They saw! They saw me lose control! _

Kari's inner chastisement made her miss the root jutting up until it was too late. With a crash and a yelp, Kari went flying into the mud. Pain shot up her arms and through her side but it provided just enough distraction to douse her flaming hands.

"Fuck," Kari groaned as she pushed herself up. Mud slid down one side of her face and she wiped it away angrily. Her hair, which Botan had been so meticulously braiding, had come undone. Kari yanked the green ribbon from her hair and chucked it away from her in disgust. She then glared back at the offending root that had so mercilessly thrown her down and heat flooded her system again. Irrational anger blinded her senses and Kari jumped up, flames igniting in her palms. She attacked the tree. Hit after hit, bark flying in every direction. The flames grew so hot and so rapidly that the rain could not save the tree from being consumed. The great structure crumbled and burned into nothing while Kari watched. It felt so good to cause some damage but it wasn't enough. Breathing hard and hands twitching, Kari's head jerked up at the familiar tingle that worked down her spine. _Hiei. _

Kari turned to face the fire demon who had appeared behind her. Hiei was standing with his arms crossed, watching without showing any emotion. It pissed Kari off that he was so composed while she was drowning in her own feelings. With a growl, she lunged at the demon and aimed a flaming fist right at his face. Hiei merely stepped to the side with his astounding speed which fueled Kari into more fervent attacks. Swing, miss; swing, miss. Kari's flames licked at Hiei but the demon didn't even flinch. Kari pulled back to land a punch and screamed as she pushed forward. Hiei caught her forearm with little effort. Kari balked, her eyes going wide. Hiei's red gaze never wavered. Growling, she used her free hand to try again but Hiei just caught her other arm, too. Kari struggled and thrashed but Hiei never budged.

"Let go!" Kari yelled out as she tried to pull her arms from Hiei's vice like grip. Hiei pushed Kari's arms to her sides and jerked her close enough so they were face-to-face.

"Stop," was all he said. He could feel Kari shaking with emotion under his hands but his grip never lessened. Finally, Kari ducked her head and her hair hid her eyes. The flames disappeared from her hands with a hiss and the girl stilled.

"I'm all alone now." Hiei's demon hearing picked up the whispered confession. Rain slicked down her arms and pooled onto the top of his hands before continuing its path to the earth. "Everyone, my whole family. Gone." Kari's voice cracked on the last word. "And everybody just wants me to get over it!" The anger returned and Kari jerked her head up, her eyes filled with her inner fire.

"Why are you even out here, huh? Wanted something to make fun of me for?" The words spilled out in a furious rush. Hiei moved his grip to her shoulders and leaned forward, his gaze boring into her furious emerald eyes.

"Do you think I'm out here getting soaked for fun?" Hiei growled. Kari didn't reply and Hiei took the opportunity to continue. "You are a stupid human. You worry about the most insignificant opinions of others, you put too much effort into trying to be just like the rest of those sniveling idiots," Hiei's hands tightened around the tops of her arms with each passing second "...and..." Hiei's grip intensified and an emotion Kari couldn't define clouded his eyes. Hiei quickly pulled Kari flush against him, and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"...you're not alone."

Kari stood stunned. This was not the reaction she had been expecting. Yelling, yes; mocking, well that would have been classic Hiei; but this almost hug? Weird. Just weird.

"The others...they will never understand," Hiei continued. He closed his eyes and felt Kari relax little by little. A few minutes ticked by without either moving. Kari didn't pull away and Hiei didn't push any further.

"But you do?" Kari whispered as she pulled her hands to his chest and gripped the fabric of his soaked shirt in her fists.

"Yeah." Kari closed her eyes and rested her cheek on his shoulder, her face turned into his neck. Both stood there silent for a few minutes and forgot about the rain or the smoldering ashes only a few feet away. For those fleeting moments, few though they were, both of them felt a warm comfort wash over them, even as the rain continued to fall. For the first time in a very long time, Kari felt safe.

"Thanks, Hiei."

* * *

"Damn, Botan. You really pissed Kari off, huh?" Yusuke muttered as he examined the charred tatami mats. He and Kuwabara had appeared not too long after Kari had run off and Keiko had filled them in. Now, Keiko was sipping tea on the couch, Yukina and Kuwabara had gone off to watch a movie and Kurama to read his book. Botan, scrubbing the soot stained walls by the fireplace, tensed in frustration and turned to tell Yusuke off but froze. Kari stood in the doorway behind him; alone, covered in mud, and dripping wet.

"Take it as a warning not to tick me off, Yusuke," Kari replied with a smirk. Keiko jumped and nearly spilled her tea.

"Oh, look who's back! Blow off enough 'steam', ne?" Yusuke gave a cheeky grin and Kari just rolled her eyes.

"Kari, you're ok?" Keiko asked worried. Kari gave a small smile to her friend.

"Yeah, I'm good. Just needed to...vent a little. Ugh," Kari pulled at her muddy t -shirt. "I need a shower. Tell Master Genkai that I'll pay for the mats when you see her." And Kari left back the way she came.

"Wait!" Botan called a she dropped the brush into her bucket and took off after the girl. She caught up a few doors down and Kari paused on the walkway. "Kari, I'm- I'm sorry about earlier. I was pushing and I-" Kari held up a hand to silence Botan.

"You were trying to help. I get that now," Kari said and cast a sideways glance at Botan. "You just...pushed my buttons a bit and...well, shit happens." Botan ducked her head in embarrassment. Kari sighed. "Look, it's ok, alright?" Kari offered a small smile. "I'm not mad anymore. Tired and soaking wet, but not mad." Botan smiled back sheepishly.

"Ok."

"Alright." Kari continued on her way and Botan felt relief flow through her. As she watched Kari vanish around a corner, Botan couldn't help but think, maybe Kari did need her own way to heal.

* * *

Kurama heard Kari pass his door on her way to the bathroom. He stuck his head out the door to see her turn into a door down the hall. _Her energy seems calmer, _he thought. At the same time, he glanced the other direction to see Hiei walking to his room, his back to Kurama. Kurama realized that Hiei left a small trail of puddles in his wake and that water was still trailing from his friend's clothes.

_Interesting_, Kurama mused as Hiei turned the corner and disappeared. Resolutely, Kurama closed his door and returned to his book. He couldn't sink back into the pages as he had been, though. His mind was too muddled with what the future could hold. As Kurama thought about various scenarios that could be unfolding soon, one thought came forth. _I just hope Hiei knows what he is doing. _

* * *

_Author's note: The new chapter, as promised! Please leave a review!_


	10. Chapter 10

Life returned to, somewhat, normal after Kari's return to the temple. She went back to training with Keiko in the morning and then with Hiei in the afternoon. Granted, there were some mornings when Kari didn't want to pull herself out of bed so Keiko would let her sleep. Hiei, however, was not so kind. The demon would barge into her room, rip the covers off of her, and command her to stop being lazy. In all honesty, Kari was grateful that Hiei would push her to be active instead of allowing her to wallow in her grief.

Within the first few days of August, Kari was smiling and enjoying time with her friends as she had before. All the while, Hiei had been there to keep her moving forward, especially during those moments when her grief would rear its ugly head. The two had never spoken of their little conversation in the woods but they didn't need to. Each understood that the other was there should they be needed. What they had was a sweet and strong friendship.

* * *

Koenma was all smiles and good cheer today. He was in his teenager form, he was back in the human world, and he was almost to Genkai's temple. In fact, Botan was having a bit of trouble flying straight with his constant fidgeting.

"Koenma, sir, please! Do you think you could stay still?" Botan begged as she flew her oar with Koenma balancing on the back.

"I am delivering very, very important intel today, Botan. A little excitement is more than acceptable," the prince retorted as he clutched a small purple folder to his chest.

_I've never seen Koenma quite so happy. He must be genuinely thrilled over this, _Botan thought. "I'm sure Yusuke will be happy to hear your news, Koenma, sir," she said aloud and offered up a smile.

"Hm? This information isn't for Yusuke," Koenma admitted as he tried to survey the ground below them. A large forest seemed to go on for miles and miles with trails and streams flowing through it. "Are we close?"

"Uh….yes, sir," Botan replied, confused.

_Who could that folder be for?_

* * *

"Alright, Keiko. I promise I won't drop you but you have to trust yourself, too, understand?" Kari asked. She and Keiko were in Genkai's training hall. Kari was on one knee with Keiko standing beside her.

"Ok," Keiko replied and turned her back to the girl. Kari leaned forward and placed her arm across Keiko's back.

"Alright, just follow your hands, like I showed you," Kari said and Keiko raised her hands over head. Slowly, she started to lean backwards and pushed against Kari's arm. Keiko continued until her hands hit the floor and she completed her back bend. "Good! Now, push!" Kari commanded. Keiko pushed off with her feet and Kari assisted, pushing up with her arm so Keiko's legs flipped over and she came back to stand.

"Good job, Keiko. You actually stood up that time," Kari congratulated and pushed herself to her feet, smiling.

"Yeah, but you still had to push me when I came up," Keiko sighed and looked at the floor.

"Yeah, but not as much this time. It was really a lot better. Right, Hiei?" Kari turned to the open door and cast a grin at the demon who had suddenly appeared. Hiei was silent, standing there with his arms crossed. Keiko looked wide eyed from Kari to Hiei and back.

"Aw! I still couldn't sense his energy," Keiko grumped and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. Kari half laughed and started to pull her hair up into a ponytail.

"Well, Hiei is masking his energy so it's a little bit harder to sense right away," Kari explained around the elastic between her lips. Kari removed the tie and began to loop it into her hair. "It's not gonna be second nature. Most of the time you have to really focus."

"If you're done chatting, I'm ready to leave," Hiei snapped from the doorway. Kari threw him a bemused grin and finished tying up her hair.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," Kari replied flippantly before offering Keiko a smile. "I'll try to be back by sundown so I can help with dinner."

"That's not going to happen if you don't get moving," Hiei broke in.

Kari glared at the demon and started towards him.

"Who the hell pissed in your cheerios this morning?" Kari barked as she left the training hall and Hiei fell in step beside her. Keiko watched the two, still talking and throwing snarky comments at one another, until they disappeared into the treeline. It would suffice to say that she simply did not understand this bizarre friendship them seemed to have. To Keiko, Hiei could be rude, pushy, stubborn, and borderline cruel but Kari always seemed to just laugh it off. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she saw that Kari was a lot like Yusuke; she could forge a friendship with a demon so easily that it almost made Keiko's head spin.

Shaking off her thoughts and questions, Keiko, too, left the training hall and went in search of Yukina. They had a lot to plan if they would all be leaving for the city in the morning.

* * *

"Why, exactly, are you all going back to the city? I thought that human school of yours wasn't starting back for a few more weeks," Hiei questioned and glanced up at Kari. He had three leaves before him, resting on the log between them. Kari had five leaves but it looked like two of them were going to crumble any moment.

"I told you, it's the Obon festival this weekend and we all have to go back. It's a tradition." Kari sighed as one of her leaves disintegrated. "I'm not excited about it either but it would be highly disrespectful not to participate."

"So if it's just a festival, why do you have to leave for three days?" Kari blinked and looked at Hiei's curious expression.

"Well, the big festival part isn't until the third day but there is more to Obon than just that. I have to go clean my ancestors graves and pay tribute. Don't demons have something like that?" Hiei glanced back down at his leaves.

"Some demons have a similar tradition," Hiei said. "Not all demons memorialize their dead though."

"Hm. Well, that's interesting," Kari conceded. "Sometimes I forget just how different demons are from humans." Hiei cast her a glance but Kari just shrugged and swept a tiny pile of ashes away from where another of her leaves had crumbled. She and Hiei were even now.

"You could come with us, you know?" she looked up and set those green eyes on him. "Yukina is going so you would just be here alone with Genkai."

"And what do you expect me to do in the city? At least here, I don't have to deal with too many humans," Hiei retorted with a scowl and one of his leaves burst into ash. Kari sighed and put her forehead on the log, exasperated. Hiei watched her carefully, unsure what had brought about this sudden mini-tantrum. Kari finally looked up, folding her hands under her chin and looking at him seriously.

"Ok, look. I…" Kari sighed again and put her forehead back on the log so all Hiei could see was the top of her head. She mumbled something into the wood that even Hiei's demon hearing couldn't quite discern.

"Sit up and speak if you have something to say," he commanded, her bizarre attitude starting to grate on him. Kari flung her head up and glared at him, her curls swinging into her face so she had to angrily brush them aside.

"I don't wanna go back to my house by myself, ok?" she barked and then crossed her arms defiantly.

"Hn. Then take Keiko with you," he replied cooly. Kari rolled her eyes.

"Keiko has family obligations of her own. Plus, she gets all...sappy when I get a little down and I don't want that right now." Kari pulled out her biggest doe-eyed look and batted her eyelashes at the demon. "Please, please, please, come with me. I need your jackass attitude to keep me from lighting the block on fire. I'm a danger to myself and the neighborhood in my tender condition."

Hiei was a little taken aback at her request but he didn't show it. He just let her stare at him with those odd, faux-sad eyes for a few seconds and contemplated what exactly he had to lose from accompanying Kari to the city.

"What's in it for me?"

"My undying gratitude." Hiei cocked an eyebrow at her, signaling that she needed to up her game. Kari sighed and rested her chin in her palm. "We can train in the clearing behind my house so you won't be bored." The demon didn't look convinced. "And I'll make those amazing double chocolate brownies you like so much," she added in a sing song voice and smiled sweetly. Hiei cocked a grin and leaned forward, staring her in the face.

"With vanilla ice cream."

"Deal."

* * *

Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Botan were watching Koenma pace the yard nervously. He was mumbling to himself and clutching that purple folder like it was a lifeline. Kuwabara scratched his head and turned back to Botan.

"So, Koenma didn't say anything about why he needed to come by today or why he wants to talk to Kari so bad?"

"No, he just said it was important. I've never seen him so riled up though. Do you think it could be something bad?" she asked the two boys.

"If it's so important he could just tell us instead of making us wait for Kari and Hiei to get back. Those two are usually gone until dark most days," Yusuke groussed. Patience was not really his strong point.

"Speaking of, I have a question for you two," Botan said, gaining their attention. "Kari and Hiei...their friendship is weird, right?" Yusuke and Kuwabara blinked and looked to each other. Botan continued. "Well, think about it. They spend an awful lot of time together and we've all seen how they talk to each other. I've never heard Hiei so chatty with someone before. You guys don't think they're like...together?"

"Um, I'm pretty sure they are together everyday, Botan," Yusuke replied with a lifted brow. Kuwabara glared at him.

"I don't think that's what Botan means, Urameshi." Yusuke blinked and looked between the two, trying to discern what they meant. Suddenly, it clicked and Yusuke fell out laughing.

"What, you think they're dating?! Seriously?!" Yusuke cackled. "Last I checked, Hiei isn't the biggest fan of humans and Kari isn't exactly the boy-crazed type."

"Yeah, I guess that's true," Kuwabara agreed with his own laugh. Botan rolled her eyes at their obliviousness. Obviously, she would have to get to the bottom of this herself.

"Kari! Hey!" Koenma suddenly shouted as the girl and her demon companion came from the treeline. The spirit prince jogged up to the girl and tried to look suave but his excitement was just too much to handle.

"Uh, hey, Koenma. What brings you here?" Kari asked as she pulled her elastic from her hair and shook it out. Watching her run her fingers through her curls just made her even more lovely in Koenma's eyes and the prince couldn't help but blush.

"Actually, I have something I thought you would find very interesting," Koenma said with a smile and eager eyes, leaning forward so he was all in her face.

"Um…ok?" Kari replied with a cocked eyebrow and she leaned back slightly so he wasn't quite so close. "Well, we are having a big dinner tonight so why don't you stick around and you can tell everyone?" Kari said with a half hearted smile. Koenma's proximity was making her a little uncomfortable so she stepped gingerly around the prince toward Hiei. Koenma trailed along on her other side as the three began walking towards to the temple once again, gratefully accepting the invitation. Koenma continued to babble on about several nonsensical things and Kari listened politely. Neither of them noticed Hiei's tense jaw or the way he kept throwing glares at the prince.

Hiei was definitely not pleased.

* * *

"Wow! This all smells great. You are quite the cook, Kari," Koenma offered nicely as he took a seat to her left.

"Actually, Yukina prepared most of this. I just helped slice the vegetables," Kari replied as Hiei took the seat to her right and Kurama to his right. The group was all seated and the table was laid out with all manner of food. Soup and noodles and sauteed vegetables; everyone began serving themselves and chatting with their neighbors.

"You also helped with the beef," Keiko offered from across the table, casting a smile at her friend. Kari rolled her eyes.

"You could have seared it just as easily," she replied.

"Yeah, but it's more fun to watch you do it with your fire trick." Kari waved the comment away and took a bite of her food.

"So, Koenma," Kurama interjected, looking past Hiei and Kari to the prince. "What kind of news did you bring from the spirit world?"

"Oh, yes! Well," Kurama produced the purple folder and pulled out a sheet of paper. "I was doing some research in the archives and came across this." He offered the page to Kari and the girl took it, glancing at it. It appeared to be some kind of family tree, with her name at the bottom and her mother's and grandmother's above hers. It went back and back, a list of all the females in her family along her grandmother's side until it came to a blanked out space at the top.

"Did you look up all the women in my family, Koenma?" Kari asked with a raised brow.

"Well," the prince blushed," when we were processing your grandmother this was in her file. But look here," He pointed to the blanked out name at the top and looked at her expectantly.

"It's blank," she deadpanned.

"Yes, but don't you know what that means?" Koenma urged.

"Get to the point," Hiei suddenly growled from Kari's other side. Koenma jumped at the demon's interjection, but plowed on.

"It means that this member of your family didn't have a file in the spirit world. There is no record of their existence."

"Ok. So, did it get lost or something?" Yusuke chimed in, scratching his head.

"No, that's not possible. Every human and demon soul has a record in the spirit world. If there is no record of a being that can only mean that they are a citizen of the spirit world." Koenma leaned over and pointed to the date next to the blanked out space. "This date precedes even my existence."

"For real?" Kari asked. Hiei leaned over her shoulder and glanced at the paper. Koenma reached back into the folder and pulled out another sheet.

"Yes and it's not just any date. That date coincides with a great tragedy in the spirit world. The destruction of an entire kingdom." Kari took the sheet and saw that it was a scanned image of some kind of seal. Two dragons, one light and one dark, were circling around an emblem that looked like a roaring fire.

"That's the seal of the Kingdom of Arai, an ancient kingdom that fell from power centuries ago. The story is that they were attacked by an unnamed enemy and the ruler vanished from the spirit world altogether." Koenma explained matter-of-factly. "It was said that the royal family of Arai were the first dragons so their people were often gifted with an affinity for fire."

"Wait a minute. Are you saying Kari is the descendant of a dragon?" Kuwabara asked. Hiei stiffened at the question and looked over at the girl, who had still not looked up from the paper. She had a curious look in her eyes, brow furrowed in concentration.

"No, Kari isn't a dragon," Koenma continued and Hiei tore his eyes away from the silent girl. "But her ancestor is likely a denizen of that kingdom who sought refuge in the human world. That would explain not only Kari's powers but also why almost all the women in her family had heightened spirit awareness." Koenma glanced down at Kari, expecting to see her impressed with all the information he had gathered but she was still consumed with the scanned image he had handed to her. He waited a beat but it appeared like she hadn't been listening. Had Hiei not nudged her in the side she might have never looked up.

"Oh...uh, yeah. That's cool. Thanks, Koenma," she finally murmured and offered up a half smile. She deftly folded up the image and shoved it into her pocket for later.

"Oh, it was no trouble at all," Koenma blushed. The group soon fell back into their meal and discussed a multitude of topics. Hiei noticed that Kari was mostly quiet throughout the meal and he could feel her energy changing ever so slightly.

_She is worried about something, _the tiny voice suggested to him. Hiei cut another glance at her and silently agreed. Her smile wasn't reaching her eyes and the heat coming off of her was nervous and flaring. He would have to see what was wrong with her once Koenma was gone.

Hiei felt a small pang of anger as the spirit prince garnered Kari's attention again with some story or another. He didn't like the way Koenma fawned over her or tried to make her laugh. He wasn't entirely sure why, but he wanted that damn Koenma gone.

* * *

Eventually, Koenma did leave. He and Botan had important business in the spirit world so they were not able to stay overnight. Koenma took an extra moment to say goodbye to Kari and went so far as to promise he would be returning soon. Kari merely thanked him again for the information and then they were gone.

With dinner long over, the group decided it was time to get some sleep. They would be leaving on the morning train for the city.

Hiei was about to follow Kari towards her room, to demand to know what she was so concerned about, when Kurama stopped him.

"Hiei, do you have a moment?" the red asked coolly. Hiei cast him a short glare but shrugged. "That story Koenma told us about, the dragons. Do you know anything about that?"

"Hn. No, I've never heard of such a tale," Hiei confessed. Kurama nodded, understanding.

"I thought as much," Kurama sighed. "It has me worried though. Kari's power is rare enough without adding some ancient kingdom into the mess." Kurama cast a glance at Hiei, trying to find any kind of reaction. "Anyway, I had another question. When will you be returning to demon world?"

"Why does that matter?" Hiei retorted.

"I'm sure you have to return to the border patrol soon. I believe you might be able to find some more information on this Kingdom of Arai while you're there." Kurama explained.

"I'll be going back in a few weeks," Hiei said, turning from his friend to signal that he didn't wish to continue the conversation. Kurama continued anyway.

"Kari will be safe here." Hiei stiffened ever so slightly. "What with her hanging around with Yusuke and Kuwabara, demons wouldn't dare try to attack even with her amount of spirit energy. Plus, with the added attention of Koenma, there shouldn't be any reason to worry."

"I'm not worried about anything," Hiei replied before he blinked out of sight. Kurama stood there, taking in the shadows of the night, and thought. He could tell Hiei was lying.

* * *

Hiei appeared outside Kari's door and he rapped three quick times.

"Just come in, Hiei." He heard Kari reply from inside, so he obeyed and nudged open the door. She was sitting on her bed and appeared to be intently reading something on her laptop screen. The page Koenma had given her was laid out on the bed.

"What are you doing?" Hiei asked. From her demeanor at dinner, he had made the assumption she was upset about something; but Kari had an air of determination about her.

"Come here and close the door," she said, still not looking up from the computer screen. Hiei complied, rolling the door closed and proceeding to move to the side of the bed she was sitting on, closest to the wall and her window. Kari snatched up the paper and held it out to him. "Ever seen this?"

Hiei took the page and looked it over.

"No. Have you?" Kari shook her head 'no' and continued to click away, looking. "What are you doing?" Hiei asked for the second time. Kari sighed and looked up at him.

"I'm looking for an old story my gram used to tell me about two dragons but I can't find a trace of it anywhere," she admitted. She looked to the paper in his hand and back at his face. Hiei had an eyebrow cocked at her, showing he wasn't sure what she was talking about. Kari sighed again and snapped the laptop shut.

"Ok, so the story was about these two dragons, right?" Kari said as she took the paper back. She pointed to the black dragon. "There was a black dragon, who was consumed with night and darkness," her finger shifted up the page to land on the white dragon, "but there was also the white dragon, who was the light of the his life. Gram said they roamed the Spirit World together, content to spend eternity with one another." Hiei leaned back on the windowsill, listening intently as Kari continued.

"Then there was this king, a mad king, who wanted the white dragon to be his queen. So, he tried to sway the white dragon to abandon the black one for a life of comfort and power. When the white dragon turned the king down and said she would never leave the black dragon alone, the king decided that if he couldn't have her, then no one could. He sent an army to attack the black dragon, who always defended the white one; but while he was busy fighting, some of the king's men found the white dragon." Kari stilled for a moment and looked down. "By the time the black dragon came back, it was too late. So," Kari blinked and looked back to Hiei, "the black dragon has roamed the spirit world alone, looking for the white dragon's spirit; so they could be together again," Kari finally finished.

"Ok, so what does some old fairytale have to do with that?" Hiei said, after a moment of silence, and waved a hand at the paper.

"Well, think about it," Kari replied and began ticking reasons off on her fingers. "Koenma tells us about some ancient kingdom, run by dragons, in the spirit world. Said kingdom was destroyed by a powerful enemy and the ruler vanished. He brings this," Kari waved the paper about, "and says its the seal of this weird place. And finally, a story that my gram told me, about a black dragon and a white dragon, can't be found anywhere online."

"You're forgetting that Koenma insinuated that you are somehow connected to this ancient kingdom," Hiei added.

"Ya know what? This whole thing is so weird, I'm not even going to entertain that notion right now," Kari replied as she ran a hand through her hair. "Seriously, though. I think….I think my gram knew a lot more about my powers than she let on."

"So, what are you going to do?" Kari heaved a sigh, leaned back on the wall, and closed her eyes.

"What is there to do? My gram is gone so I can't really go asking questions. And I don't have any other family so it's just a...dead end, I guess." Kari glanced over at the demon. "You think I'm reading too much into all this?" Hiei was silent for a moment, thinking.

"I think," he said, looking to her intently, "there is no such thing as coincidence." Kari grimaced and closed her eyes again.

"Yeah, me neither."

* * *

_Author's note: Oh, things are getting interesting? I wanna hear your theories! Submit a review with what you think might happen next! Meanwhile, Chapter 11 is in progress. Keep an eye out._


	11. Chapter 11

Hiei hated humans. He hated them with a burning passion. Their stupid little lives were an annoyance to him and if he had things his way, he would never have to spend time among them again. Yet, there he was; walking down a human city sidewalk, toting an armload of bags laden with groceries.

"You act like going to one store was the end of the world," Kari laughed beside him, her own arms loaded with groceries and her backpack. It was still early and while the rest of the gang had departed from the train station to their own homes, Kari had drug him into the market.

"I still don't understand why you couldn't get all this crap later," Hiei fumed.

"I told you. I haven't been home in almost a month and there isn't going to be anything good to eat when we get there. You need to sweeten up if you want your brownies," Kari threatened playfully as they turned a corner and cut through a park. Humans were everywhere, setting up tents and displays along the paths. They were obviously preparing for the large festival that was set to begin the day after tomorrow. Hiei scowled as a few humans threw curious glances his direction but then quickly looked away when he glared at them.

"Wow. They are really going all out this year," Kari commented as she looked around. "I wonder where they'll put the lantern stand."

"Lantern stand?" Hiei asked, still not happy at his current predicament.

"Oh, yeah. At the end of the festival, everyone releases these cool flying lanterns into the sky. People also put floating ones in the river with these little lights in them, but I like the flying lanterns most. There's always a stand where you can buy a few and they sell out almost every year," Kari explained and offered the demon a smile. "The lanterns are my favorite part of the Obon festival. All those lights filling the sky."

"What's the point of a bunch of silly lanterns?" Hiei asked, one eyebrow cocked.

"It's not silly," Kari defended. "Obon is a time when the spirits of our ancestors return to the mortal world. That's why we have to set out offerings and clean burial sites, to appease the spirits. The lanterns are to lead them back to their own realm once the festival is over."

"Humans are so strange," Hiei muttered and Kari shot him a look.

"Demons are strange," she bit back as they finally made their way out of the park and around another corner. Finally, Kari's home came into view. It was a small house, with two floors and an old white door. It stood at the back of a dead end street, on a little stretch of land all it's own. Hiei could see a small cluster of trees behind the structure.

Kari nudged open her front gate with a creak and proceeded up the small walk to the door. She juggled the bags and her backpack for a moment as she tried to dig out her key, muttering curses when something would almost fall. Hiei watched her with mild entertainment until she finally pulled the key out and unlocked the door.

"Ugh. It's so stale in here," Kari groaned as she kicked off her shoes and flipped on a light switch. Hiei removed his shoes as well and followed Kari through the small living room and into the kitchen. "Just put this stuff here. I'm gonna open a few windows," Kari said as she vanished back into the living room. "Check out the back yard and see if we're gonna have enough space to train."

Hiei set the bags down on the table and turned to the door behind him. Flipping the locks, he pulled the door open and stepped back out into the mid-morning light. He stepped out onto the small porch and surveyed the area. The yard would do; the grass stretched back to a small grove of trees that extended a short distance to a brick wall and the neighbors were far enough away that no one would notice them.

"How's it look out there?" Hiei turned to see Kari had re-entered the kitchen and was putting away the groceries. "Think that'll work for the next few days?"

Hiei smirked and leaned against the doorframe, enjoying the sunlight. Maybe being in the city wouldn't be so bad.

"Yeah, it'll work."

* * *

To Keiko, being back at the diner after so much time at Genkai's was weird. It was like all her work developing her meager powers suddenly didn't mean much. She was back to being a normal, high school girl.

Keiko sighed as she grabbed another dirty pan from the counter and set to scrubbing. Yusuke, who was next to her and even lending a hand, nudged her playfully.

"Getting all wistful on me, Keiko?" he joked as he dried the pot she had handed off to him.

"It's just weird, being back home after everything that's happened," Keiko admitted and cast a glance at her boyfriend. "I guess I kinda understand why you're always so grumpy when you come back now."

"Geez, if you're all down in the dumps after one afternoon, I hate to see how Kari's doing," Yusuke laughed. "Although, maybe Hiei is keeping her busy. Those two train like its the end of the world." Yusuke took notice when Keiko tensed just a bit. "What's wrong?"

"It's just, Hiei is...scary," Keiko replied. "I don't understand how Kari spends so much time with him."

"Oh, Hiei's not that bad," Yusuke comforted. "Don't get me wrong. Hiei's tough and fighting is just about the only thing he knows; but he wouldn't hurt Kari seriously." Yusuke threw a grin at Keiko and chuckled to himself. "Ya know, Botan asked me something the other day."

"Huh? What?" Keiko watched as Yusuke tried to bite back his peals of laughter.

"Well, that silly girl thinks that Hiei and Kari might be an item. Can you imagine?" Yusuke fell out laughing then, the idea so bizarre to him that he couldn't take it seriously.

Keiko was less amused.

* * *

_"Keep her close."_

_ Hiei was running through a maze of mirrors, each surface showing him his own battered body and frenzied eyes. He was panicked, searching for something. He could hear others in the maze but he didn't see anything but his own reflection in any direction._

_ "Keep her safe."_

_ The voice rang, unfamiliar but powerful. Hiei turned a corner and caught a glimpse of long black hair and pale skin. There, ahead, moving out of sight._

_ "If you lose her…" _

_ Hiei dove around the corner but he was still too far behind. Another corner and he was surrounded by mirrors. He looked back at himself, out of breath and alone. _

_ "If you lose her…" _

_ Kari stepped from a shadow, smiling and offering her hand to him. Her eyes were filled with so much warmth. Hiei reached for her, begging for her touch, but when he brushed his fingertips against hers, she suddenly shattered into a spray of tiny, silver fragments._

_ "If you lose her…"_

_ Hiei gasped as the rest of the mirrors burst and shattered around him and he was left in a void of darkness. Something slithered in the shadows, moving towards him stealthily._

_ "...you'll die."_

_ Golden eyes flashed into sight, burning with light and fury._

* * *

Hiei jerked awake, sitting up and gasping for air. He was confused by his surroundings for a moment until he remembered where he was.

_That's right. I'm at Kari's house,_ he thought with one hand on his head. A vision of the dream Kari, shattering to pieces before him, flickered behind his eyelids. Hiei jerked his head up and suddenly realized: he didn't sense Kari in the house.

The demon jumped from the bed, flinging the sheets away, and ripped open the door to the hallway. He skidded down the hall and threw open the door to Kari's room. The bed was made and everything looked to be in place, but the girl was nowhere in sight. A sound from downstairs caused Hiei to jerk his attention to the stairs. He flashed down the hall and leapt down the stairs, ready to take on whatever was coming in. Hiei landed in a crouch and let out a growl.

"Shit!" Kari yelped from the front door as she jumped and sent a bucket with some cleaning supplies flying. "God, Hiei! What the hell?!"

Hiei blinked and felt the tingle he always felt when he caught sight of Kari work down his back. He stood normally and looked her over; she didn't look hurt.

"Where have you been?" Hiei barked, suddenly angry but secretly relieved. Kari sighed and moved to pick up her spilled supplies.

"I went to the graveyard to pay tribute to my ancestors. What's got you all riled up?" Kari looked up and shrunk back when she noticed Hiei had flashed in front of her and was staring at her furiously.

"You should have woken me," he growled. Kari blinked at him.

"I was only gone for an hour. I thought you would like to sleep in," she replied, taken aback by how angry he was. She leaned forward, peering into his face. "What's the matter? You're all jumpy this morning." Hiei stiffened as the memory of his dream, Kari shattering before him, flashed through his mind. Growling, Hiei stood and made his way back to the stairs.

"I'm taking a shower," he muttered as he climbed the stairs.

"Um...ok. I'm gonna start on your brownies," Kari called after him. She only heard the bathroom door slam closed in response. "Well, someone's not a morning person."

* * *

Kari wasn't the only one up early today. The Kuwabara household, and their special guest, were up and about.

"Really, Kazuma, you don't have to go through all this trouble," Yukina said timidly as she watched Kuwabara hustle from one end of the kitchen to the other. He was frying eggs, making toast, and creating a mess. "I really wouldn't mind helping."

"No way! You are my guest and I will provide for you, as the man should," he replied valiantly. Well, as valiantly as he could while wearing his mother's pink apron and having flour smeared across one side of his face.

"Hey, Kazuma? Did you remember to make coffee?" Shizuru asked as she leaned against the kitchen door, still in her blanched and panicked.

"Oh no! I forgot the coffee!" he yelped and bolted for the front door. "I will get coffee for the most perfect breakfast ever!" he declared as he took off down the street, still sporting the apron.

"That doofus," Shizuru muttered with a roll of her eyes. She glanced to Yukina, expecting the apparition to be smiling at the boy's antics, but instead she was staring at the floor with a sombre expression. "Hey, what's wrong?" Yukina jumped and looked to Shizuru with her startled, red eyes.

"Oh, nothing! I just...um…" Yukina faltered as she tried to find the right words. "I just wish Kazuma wouldn't go through all this for me."

"Well, you know how my baby bro can be. He just wants to show you how much he cares," Shizuru said, wanting to console Yukina.

"I know but, I just…" Yukina hiccuped and tears welled up in her eyes. "I just don't feel like I can return his affection like I should."

"Are you saying you don't care for Kazuma?" Yukina jerked her head up at Shizuru's incensed question.

"Of course I care for Kazuma, more than anything!" Yukina cried. "It's just...I'm an ice apparition…"

"And Kazuma's human?" Yukina shook her head 'no.'

"No, I don't care about that. My people, the ice apparitions, we...we aren't supposed to feel love or compassion for others." Shizuru softened at Yukina's admission. "I just feel like I'm doing something wrong." Shizuru stepped up and put her hands on the girl's shoulders.

"It's never wrong to love someone," she said sternly. "People, human and demon, are social creatures. It's more than reasonable that you would become attached to someone more than anyone else." Shizuru smiled at her. "You left the ice world because you said you didn't want to be like them. If you want to be with Kazuma, you are the only one who can stand in your way."

Yukina stared wide eyed at the taller woman as her words sank in. Finally, she smiled softly.

"Thank you, Shizuru."

"I have the coffee!" Kuwabara shouted as he skidded back into the kitchen, arms loaded down with several types of coffee. He blinked at the two before him. "Uh...what did I miss?"

"Oh, nothing. Just a little girl talk," Shizuru waved away his question and slipped from the room. "Call me when the coffee's done!" Kuwabara blinked after his sister and then turned his gaze to Yukina. The ice apparition was smiling at him sweetly and Kuwabara felt his heart flutter in his chest.

"Kazuma," Kuwabara looked down at the tiny demon and she smiled back at him, gratefully. "Thank you for being so sweet to me." Kuwabara beamed at her praise and a blush lit up his cheeks.

"Well, you know," he was suddenly serious and leaned down so they were a bit closer, "I'd do anything for you." Yukina leaned in just a bit closer and pressed her cool, soft lips against his cheek. Her first step in showing Kuwabara just how much he meant to her.

"I'd do anything for you, too," she murmured. Kuwabara's face burned bright red and he felt like his heart was going to explode from his chest.

Shizuru was listening intently from the door and she had her own small smile.

_Those two are gonna be just fine._

* * *

For as much time as Hiei spent outdoors, covered in mud and blood and grime, there was something about a hot shower that was just...welcome. The steam, the heat; Hiei had finally been able to relax to the point where his strange dream was no longer bothersome.

Adjusting the last belt on his pants, Hiei resumed towel drying his hair and left the bathroom; forgoing a shirt for the time being. Upon exiting, he could hear Kari cursing at something down the stairs. Curious, he flickered down the stairs and found her in a small side room beneath the stairs. It was a small study with a large window, complete with a bench to sit upon, looking out to the front yard and two massive bookcases along the inner wall. Kari had climbed precariously on the one closest to the window, both bare feet planted on a shelf while she stretched as high as she could to dust fervently at the top.

"What are you doing?" Hiei questioned from the doorway. Kari, who hadn't felt him come in, jerked her head to the side to look at him. Unfortunately, this quick movement caused her to lose her balance and sent the shaky bookcase toppling forward; intent on pinning her underneath.

Hiei shot forward, catching Kari about the waist, and diving towards the other side of the falling bookcase, rolling across the floor. The bookcase crashed against the floor but, thankfully, Kari hadn't been squashed beneath. Hiei glared at the bookcase.

"Only you could get hurt trying to-" Hiei glanced down at the girl and his insult fell flat. Kari was pinned beneath him, her hair spread out around her head in a dark halo and one hand pressed against his bare chest. They were so close their noses could have almost touched had she been looking at him; but her wide eyes were still on the downed bookcase.

"Oh, that would have hurt," she grimaced and finally cast her eyes up at him. She blanched when she, too, realized just how close they were. Red and green eyes clashed and neither really knew what to do.

Hiei could feel her every heartbeat, her breath, her heat channeling through her hand and into his chest. He was enveloped in a warmth he didn't understand and he subtly moved closer. He had a carnal need to feel more of her, all of her.

Kari was blushing madly at the feeling of Hiei's weight on top of her. She was painstakingly aware of the fact he wasn't wearing a shirt and she could feel all of his muscles beneath her warming hand. Suddenly, Kari had a rather obvious thought as Hiei started to lean a little closer: Hiei was a man, he was hot as hell, and, good god, she wanted to kiss him.

A loud popping sound ripped the two of them out of their heated thoughts and brought them crashing back to the present. Hiei crushed Kari against him and snarled, looking for an enemy and every instinct in him screaming to protect. But there was no one there, just the bookcase and an open door.

"Hiei, the wall…" Kari gasped. Hiei jerked his attention to the wall where the bookcase had been standing. A straight panel, no higher than Kari's waist, was sticking out from the wall, like a door with no handle. "What is that?"

Kari tried to wiggle out of Hiei's grasp but the demon had a crippling hold on her.

"Um...Hiei?" the demon looked to her and blinked. Kari was still blushing but she did everything she could to suppress her new onslaught of feelings towards her friend. Hiei caught her gist and released his hold, mildly embarrassed himself. Kari took a steadying breath and pulled herself to her feet. A glimmer through the crack in the wall drew her in and Kari placed one eye against it to see inside.

"Hey! There's something in there," Kari said and tried to pry her fingers into the crack. "Help me move this thing." Hiei finally moved from his space and took up a position at her side, crouching next to the bookcase. Together, they flipped the piece onto one side and the door in the wall fell open, swinging on hidden hinges. Kari moved towards the wall and carefully she wedged the door open as wide as it could go. Hiei peered over her shoulder to see in as well.

"Holy freakin' hell…" Kari murmured. The glimmer she had seen through the crack had been courtesy of a large sack, spilling over with gold and precious gems. Hiei blinked and reached past her; but instead of grabbing hold of a handful of wealth, he came back with a small, leather bound book. Kari looked down at the cover of the strange book and then straight up into Hiei's face.

"I guess you were right about your gram," Hiei said and looked at her with the barest etch of concern.

On the cover of the book were the two circling dragons, the seal of the Kingdom of Arai.

* * *

Kari was furious. Hiei didn't think he had ever seen her so blatantly angry in all the time he had known her. But even he could tell, this was not just fury. Kari was nervous and afraid.

"How does someone not mention something like this? What, are we living in a freaky ass fairytale, now? I mean, who hides a fortune in the walls?! And another thing-" Kari had been pacing and screaming for the past twenty minutes, stomping from one end of the living room to the other over and over. Hiei, meanwhile, had been sitting on the couch watching her and thumbing through the pages of the book.

Finally, Kari flopped down on the other side of the coffee table and threw her head down on it, falling silent.

"Are you done with your little tantrum?" Hiei asked with a raised brow. Kari just gave him an "a-okay" hand sign and didn't dare to pick up her head. He set the book open in front of her head. "Take a look."

Kari groaned and tilted her head up to see the book. She blinked a few times and then snatched the book up, ripping through the pages before looking back at the demon.

"It's blank," she said, astounded. "Why is it blank?"

"Like I know," Hiei deadpanned and crossed his arms. "But I think now is a safe time to assume that you are, indeed, connected to all this." Kari fumed and threw the book onto the table, crossing her own arms.

"Well, this is just perfect!" she fumed, glaring at the accursed book like it was the source of all of her woes. With a sigh, she thrust her chin into her palm, thinking. "I guess we should tell Koenma about this."

"We are not telling Koenma a damn thing," Hiei growled dangerously. Kari cast him a withering glance.

"Oh, are answers just gonna drop from the sky about all this?" she barked sarcastically. "Really, tell me: how we gonna learn more about this, hm?"

"I will ask around when I go back to Demon World. Someone is bound to know something," Hiei replied. Kari's eyes widened and Hiei watched her snark give way to confusion.

"Wait a minute. Demon world?" Hiei tensed a bit, realizing too late what he had just said. "When are you going back to Demon world?"

"In a few weeks. I have to return to the border patrol," he replied, biting back the surge of guilt he suddenly felt.

"Were you ever gonna tell me or just disappear without an explanation?" Kari demanded. She remembered Hiei saying he would go back to Demon world eventually but now, the thought of him being so far away made her sad; which in turn made her exceptionally angry because she didn't understand her own feelings at the moment.

"This isn't my world," Hiei replied automatically. Kari flinched ever so slightly, but Hiei caught it; that one involuntary move grated on him, eating at his resolve. Kari glared down at the table top and was silent. Hiei could feel her energy shifting as she thought but he couldn't read more than that.

Finally, Kari sighed and lifted her hands in a defeated gesture.

"Ya know what?" she looked up at him challengingly. "I wash my hands of this weirdness." Kari pushed herself to her feet and moved towards the stairs. "Your brownies are on the stove. Help yourself."

"Where do you think you're going?" Hiei barked at her back. Kari paused on the stairs but didn't turn to look at him.

"I've been up since before dawn and I'm tired. I'm sure you can keep yourself entertained for a few hours," she replied flippantly. Hiei watched her vanish up the stairs and heard her door click closed. Kari was shutting him out and, for probably the first time ever, it hurt. Just a little.

* * *

At a loss for what to do while Kari was locked away in her room, Hiei left her home and wandered the city. He finally found himself in a thicket of trees in the park, lounging on a high branch and watching the humans scurry about beneath him.

In two weeks, he would be back where he belonged and he could leave this dismal world behind.

_I'll just be bored again_, Hiei thought. The whole reason he had come to the human world in the first place was that his time on the border patrol had grown stale. He had needed some kind of excitement, a drive. Kari's green eyes flashed behind his lids, filled with fire and life.

Hiei had found what he had been looking for; he just never would have thought it would come in the form of a human girl.

_You could stay,_ the voice whispered to him. Hiei had to admit, it was an appealing thought. Spending his days at Genkai's, training and getting stronger; Kari would be there to keep him entertained. He could be selfish and do what he wanted. Mukuro wouldn't care if he came back or not.

With a sigh, Hiei broke away from his daydream and reasoned that it could not be. He was a demon and he belonged in the demon world. It didn't matter how much he wanted to stay; this was the way things were. He had to go back.

Hiei watched some humans below him assembling a booth for the festival. He watched them lift a sign into place and starting securing it tightly. "Lanterns for sale! 2 for 500Y!"

_The lanterns are my favorite part, _Kari's voice rang in his head and Hiei felt that weird warmth spread in his chest. Smirking, Hiei stood and leapt from the tree, heading back to Kari's house.

* * *

When Hiei returned to Kari's house, he found the human girl in her backyard. She was busy throwing some new tumbling trick and backflipping across the yard. He blinked into sight in the porch and watched her for a few moments. Kari landed, barely keeping herself from falling since the tingle alerting her to Hiei's presence distracted her.

"Oh, good. You're back," Kari said as she swiped some hair off her face and looked to the demon. She tossed a half smile at him, clearly not still upset about their little exchange earlier. Kari took up her fighting stance, sliding one foot back and raising both fists in preparation to block.

Hiei smirked and flashed out of sight, only reappearing as he swung a fist towards her. Kari blocked and returned her own with her own attack.

They kept at it for hours, until well after the sun had gone down. It seems they had both decided to take full advantage of what little time they had left together.

* * *

_Author's note: So, originally the last chapter, this one, AND the next one were all supposed to be just one chapter. But I kept having this great idea (that's coming up in the next chapter) and I just had to go with it! I'm heading out of town this weekend, so it will be a few days before I post the next chapter. I have up through Chapter 14 mapped out and mostly written so I will be posting those up to my wedding (which is in 2 weeks!) Stay tuned and please leave a review! _


	12. Chapter 12

Finally, the day of the Obon festival had arrived. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and the group were all going to be together. Keiko, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Yukina, and Kurama were all making their way to Kari's house.

"Kari's gram always had the most beautiful kimono for us to wear for festivals," Keiko gushed, daydreams of how elegant and grown up she would look in the borrowed robes dancing through her mind. With the end of summer drawing to a close and her final year of high school on the horizon, Keiko finally felt like she was becoming a real lady.

Of course, the prospect of playing dress up was not everyone's idea of fun.

"Keiko, did we really have to tag along? I mean, you guys coulda just met us at the festival," Yusuke grumped as he strolled along with his hands in his pockets.

"Yusuke, it would be unchivalrous of us to leave the girls to walk to the festival alone," Kurama interjected politely.

"Yeah, Urameshi. As the men of the group, it's our duty to act as escorts for our lovely companions," Kuwabara added courageously, offering Yukina a sweet and sincere smile, which she returned just as brightly.

"Oh, come on. Hiei's hanging with Kari so I'm sure he coulda walked with 'em," Yusuke retorted as he rolled his eyes at the sky.

"Oh, please. Like Hiei's gonna come to the festival with all of us," Kuwabara replied. "He's probably already ditched Kari and gone back to demon world."

"I don't know about that," Keiko said, turning to look back at the teen. "I talked to Kari this morning and she said Hiei was planning to come with us all. I even brought some of Yusuke's old clothes so he had something normal to wear." Keiko held up her shopping bag and smiled.

"Wow, really? That sure is surprising," Kuwabara murmured, a little shocked.

"You could have asked before borrowing some of my clothes, ya know?" Yusuke growled, not the least bit surprised about the news that Hiei would be coming with them.

"Oh, please. You never even wear this stuff anymore," Keiko defended as the group finally arrived at Kari's house. In they marched, through the gate and up to the door where Keiko knocked politely. They waited...no answer. Keiko knocked again and even rang the small bell by the door. Still no answer.

"Maybe they went somewhere," Kuwabara reasoned. Kurama smiled knowingly and moved to the side of the house.

"No, it just seems they are both a little preoccupied." The group looked at him questioningly but followed the red head's lead and trudged around the side of the house.

Kurama had been right. They were definitely busy.

Kari and Hiei were sparring fervently, fighting from one end of the small yard space the the other. Punching, kicking, dodging, and blocking; never hard enough to cause real damage but both of them seemed to be getting a decent workout. Neither of them noticed that they had an audience now either and the two continued their match.

Kari was attacking, making Hiei step back and defend from her punches and kicks. Finally, Kari saw he was the tiniest bit off balance. With a grin, she dove at the demon with every intention of tackling him to the ground. And she did; until Hiei used the momentum of the attack to roll them both over backwards so he wound up pinning her.

"I win," the demon growled triumphantly and Kari just scowled at him.

"Are we intruding?" Kari and Hiei blinked and jerked their attention to the new voice. Kurama's tone had been light but Hiei could see the cunning and glint in his eyes. Hiei backed off of Kari and let the girl rise.

"Damn, Kari! Who knew you could kick ass like that?" Yusuke laughed as the group finally entered the yard. "So, when do we get to fight, huh?"

"Urameshi, you can't fight Kari! She's a girl," Kuwabara reasoned and then cast a glare at Hiei. "And Hiei, you shouldn't be so rough! You're going to hurt her!"

"Excuse me?!" Kari fumed and glared at the taller boy. Kuwabara instantly regretted his words.

"I mean….um…" he stuttered as Kari's glare only intensified.

"I don't appreciate you insinuating I am weak after I have spent the whole summer working my ass off," she growled. Kurama noticed the smug grin Hiei shot at Kuwabara. Quickly, the red head intervened.

"Kari is more than capable of holding her own, it seems. I wouldn't worry so much, Kuwabara," Kurama said, easing the tension. Kari blew some hair out of her face, not really sure what to think of Kurama sticking up for her. Deciding that this battle wasn't worth fighting, Kari turned to Keiko and Yukina.

"The kimonos are upstairs in my room. Come on." With one last glare at Kuwabara, Kari and the girls brushed past the boys and into the house.

"Damn. You got burned, Kuwabara," Yusuke said with a grin and nudged his friend. Kuwabara blinked at the brunette and then the joke finally settled in.

"You're really not funny, Urameshi."

* * *

"Oh, wow. These are beautiful," Yukina gushed as her fingers slipped and slid over the smooth fabric in her hands. She and Keiko were busy trying to decide which of Kari's kimono they wanted to wear to the festival and it was proving to be a daunting task. Ten lacquered cases had been laid out on the bed and floor, each holding one or two gorgeous, and very expensive, robes.

"Right?" Keiko squealed as she held on of the kimono up to her and fantasized about how regal she would look with it on.

"Uh oh, I know that look. It's the princess daydream," Kari teased as she came back into the room, toweling off her hair after a quick shower. Keiko stuck out her tongue at the girl.

"Kari, thank you so much for letting us borrow from you," Yukina said sweetly as she picked the lid off another box to see the contents inside.

"Eh, it's no trouble," Kari shrugged but offered a smile back to the little apparition.

"I can't believe your Gram had so many kimono. These have to be worth a fortune!" Keiko said as she gently laid out another robe. Kari stiffened a bit, remembering the sack of gold hidden in the wall in her library. Thank god shouting from the kitchen deterred her thoughts on that matter.

"What the hell are you morons doing?!" Kari shouted back from her doorway.

"Hiei won't give us any brownies!" Yusuke's voice screeched back through the house. Kari rolled her eyes.

"Hiei! Share!" she replied and then slammed the door shut. Several more grunts and shouts issued from downstairs but Kari wasn't going to intervene.

"Brownies?" Yukina asked but Keiko just shook her head and lifted the lid off another box.

"They're just being boys," the brunette replied and pulled the kimono from the box. Her face lit up and she turned to Kari. "Oh, you should definitely wear this one!"

Kari took in the elegant, detailed kimono and groaned. God, she hated playing dress up.

* * *

Hiei was in his borrowed room, tugging on a black shirt from the bag Keiko had brought over. The jeans fit fine but Hiei had opted out of wearing the tennis shoes in favor of his boots. As he buttoned up the shirt, he quickly tucked his tear gem inside the collar. He had taken to wearing the stone around his neck more often while in the human world. As long as it stayed out of sight, he felt a deep comfort at the slight weight of it.

He could hear Keiko and Yukina chatting happily in the hallway and down the stairs. With a sigh, he grabbed one of his white belts and looped it through the pants. Why was he putting himself through this?

Stepping into the hall, he was suddenly reminded why.

"Well, don't you look spiffy," Hiei turned to the voice and froze. Kari was smiling at him, teasing, but he couldn't for the life of him come up with a come back.

Kari was glorious. Her kimono was a rich, dark black with cherry blossoms across the front, fading into the lilac hem. The obi was a vibrant emerald green, so close in color to her eyes that it was shocking, and a thin gold obijime was nestled in the center. All those black, rebellious curls had been pulled into a side ponytail that fell across one shoulder and gave the demon a perfect view of her long, white neck.

The silence hung in the hall, weighing on the both of them. Kari cocked an eyebrow at her silent friend. Carefully, she walked forward, a little uneasy under his gaze.

"Hiei?" she asked and looked into his shocked face. "What?" she fidgeted a bit, praying for him to say something and end this awkward moment.

Hiei was lost in a sea of tumultuous emotion. He was transfixed, captivated. He couldn't look away and the beast within him was growling with a hungry need. Those big, innocent green eyes were searing into him and he said the first thing he could think of.

"You're stunning," Hiei murmured and Kari blushed deeply. Heat pulsed from her and she stepped just a touch closer. Slowly, she reached up to Hiei and the demon tensed as both of her hands went to his collar. Giving a tug, Kari straightened it for him.

"Your shirt was messed up," she muttered but didn't take her hands away. Hiei could feel all the warmth in her hands seeping into his neck and thrumming through him. He felt the warmth in his chest blooming again, just like it had in the library the day before.

"Kari! Hiei! Let's go already!" The spell was broken with Yusuke's shout from downstairs. Kari snatched her hands away and Hiei pulled himself back, eyes clearing and the warmth vanishing. Kari blushed again and tried to suppress whatever it was she was feeling towards Hiei.

"Come on," she said with a smile and took the demon's hand in her own. Kari dragged him to the stairs and was a little surprised when she felt Hiei's hand tighten around hers, too.

* * *

The park was filled to capacity with people. Humans scurried about, the women wearing kimonos and the men dressed casually, trying to take in as much of the festival as they could before the sun went down.

Kurama was watching Hiei and Kari closely. They were not holding hands anymore, but Hiei was staying close to her. Kari was speaking with him, explaining some of the different aspects of the festival, and Hiei was listening.

Kari was currently explaining the purpose of a carnival game Kuwabara and Yusuke had stopped to play. Each had bucket of ping pong balls and the goal was to land one in a small, floating bowl. Kuwabara eventually landed one of his many tries and whooped with triumph.

"For you, my love," Kuwabara said gallantly as he handed off the stuffed bunny he had won to the ice apparition.

"Oh, thank you, Kazuma," Yukina replied, hugging the little creature to her and casting her sweet, red eyes on the human boy. Hiei scoffed at Kari's side.

"What's the point of winning some stupid doll?" the demon asked, irritated.

"Some girls like stuff like that," Kari answered with a shrug.

"You don't?" Hiei asked, glancing at the girl with a smirk.

"Oh, please," Kari huffed. "I'm not exactly a girly-girl." Hiei's snarky reply was interrupted by an obnoxious voice shouting out to Kari.

"Kari! How lucky I am to run into you here!" Koenma cried as he came ripping through the crowd, trying so very hard to be cool. Kari's eyes widened as the spirit prince appeared.

"Uh, hey, Koenma. Um...nice get up ya got there," she tried so say politely. Koenma was dressed to the nines in a full blown, purple and gold haori outfit, complete with a pair of zori that added at least three inches to his height. In short, he looked a little ridiculous with all the men around dressed so casually.

Koenma beamed and took up Kari's hands in his own, making her tense at the contact.

"You look absolutely gorgeous. Like a delicate lady of the feudal age," Koenma gushed. Kari blanched at his statement, taken aback by how blunt he was being. She couldn't help but think that what Hiei had said to her earlier was a little more...valuable. Not to mention, she was not fond of being called delicate.

"Um...thank you," she bit out and tugged her hands back, uncomfortable with the contact. Hiei subtly stepped closer to Kari, his sense naturally going on high alert now that Koenma was here.

"Koenma, what a pleasant surprise," Kurama interjected as he stepped up and offered the spirit prince a smile. "Everything is going well, I hope?"

"Hm? Oh, yes. Of course," the prince replied. "So well, in fact, that I thought a little trip back to human world was well deserved."

"Felt like slumming it among the humans?" Yusuke asked, leaving his game to address the prince.

"Hardly. As chief director of the spirit world, it is my duty to know and understand all the customs of the humans in my region," Koenma explained, flipping his hair to the side to seem glamorous. "Of course, I could use a guide." He looked at Kari pointedly with a smile.

"Well, they have times guides and maps of the festival grounds at the information booth," she replied, ignoring the hint that he was dropping. "You should check it out." _And stop hitting on me._

Of course, Koenma was not to be deterred. The prince quickly pushed his way between the silent Hiei and Kari, looping an arm through hers and pushing himself close.

"How wonderful! You can show me and tell me more about all these festivities," Koenma gushed and suddenly began walking away, dragging the startled Kari with him. Kari gaped and glanced back at her friends but they weren't going to be of any help. The two disappeared into the crowd, Koenma still jabbering away.

"Man, Koenma has got it bad," Kuwabara muttered as he looked after where the prince and Kari had disappeared.

"Yeah," Yusuke agreed. "Too bad he doesn't get that Kari's not really interested." he added with a laugh.

"I don't get why not," Keiko huffed. "Koenma is really nice and good looking. Maybe if they spend some time together, she'll see he would be a good boyfriend. Unlike some people." Keiko cast Yusuke a glance and the brunette bowed up indignantly.

"Hey! I'm a great boyfriend!" he retorted defensively. While Keiko and Yusuke were arguing, no one saw Hiei vanish.

* * *

_It is rude to punch people in public. It is rude to punch people in public,_ Kari chanted to herself. Koenma was still talking and leafing through the many guides and pamphlets at the tourist booth near the front of the park. People were giving him odd looks for his choice of clothing and all the attention was making Kari's skin crawl.

_Ugh. I just wanted to watch the lanterns with my friends,_ she thought miserably. Suddenly, the memory of what happened between she and Hiei in the hall came to her.

_You're stunning_.

Kari felt the heat swarm to her hands and a small blush light her face. Oh, she should not be thinking about that right now.

"Kari, did you hear me?" Kari jumped and looked at the waiting prince.

"Hm? Sorry, I was thinking about-" Kari stopped before she blurted out she had been thinking about a certain fire demon. "Sorry. What?"

"I was saying we should go to the river to see them set out the lights. It looks very romantic," Koenma tried to sound husky and sexy but it just came off as creepy.

"Actually, I kinda wanted to see-woah!" Kari never got to express her desire to see the flying lanterns from the park because Koenma had, once again, looped his arm in hers and was pulling her towards to river.

"I am really very excited to see these floating lanterns. Humans can be so interesting with their traditions and this one is exceptionally so. You know, in spirit world-" Koenma was off, doing everything he could to seem impressive for the girl.

Just as Kari was starting to accept the fact that she might be stuck with Koenma for the rest of the night, she felt that wonderful tingle down her back. Glancing to the left, she noticed Hiei had suddenly appeared. So quickly she could barely follow his movements, the demon had switched Kari's trapped arm with another woman and was pulling Kari in the opposite direction.

"You know, I really must say: you are simply breath taking in that kimono," Koenma turned, expecting to see a blushing Kari.

"Oh, young man. How noble of you," the old woman, her arm now looped in Koenma's, replied with a soft voice. Koenma blanched, completely confused as to what was happening. "Come on, now. I want to see those lanterns!" Suddenly, Koenma was the one being dragged towards the river and Kari was long gone.

* * *

"Hiei! I can't believe you did that!" Kari laughed as she and Hiei turned into an alley. Hiei looked back at her with a smirk and continued pulling her along behind him. "Hey! Slow down a bit. I can't run in this thing, you know," Kari said, still giggling, as she tried to adjust her kimono and walk. Hiei suddenly stopped, turned to her, and swooped her up into his arms.

"Hang on," was all he said before he leapt upwards. Kari squeaked and wrapped her arms around his neck so she wouldn't fall. Hiei jumped from roof to roof, a black blur among the darkening sky, until finally they came to rest atop a billboard on the tallest building by the park. Hiei set Kari down carefully on a stone slab with a waist high rail for her to grab onto. The slab wasn't big enough for them to stand side-by-side, so Hiei took up the space behind her, one hand grasping the rail on each side of Kari.

"Oh my god," Kari said in awe as she tried to look around her. The city was laid out beneath them, the river and setting sun directly ahead. "You can see the whole city from here. Hiei, this is amazing!" Kari slowly turned herself so she was facing the demon and leaning back against the rail. "You just showing off or did we come up here for a reason?" Kari asked with a grin. Hiei smirked at her.

"You wouldn't shut up about these lanterns so if you're going to make me watch, I want to have a good view." Kari laughed and looked around them.

"Well, I think you may have just found the best seat in the house," she replied and smiled up at him. Hiei felt that warmth from before spread through his chest. "You think Koenma has noticed his new date yet?" Hiei smirked and shook his head.

"Doubtful." Kari laughed again and brushed some wild strands of hair from her face.

"Well, thanks for saving me from 'The Prince of the Spirit World'," she said jokingly and looked to him, grateful.

The last rays of sunlight were drifting into various shades of red and purple, illuminating Kari from behind so that she looked to be glowing. Those eyes, that smile just for him, the warmth radiating from her and seeping into him.

They were so close...

The last of the sunlight faded and they both jumped slightly as the banging of drums echoed from below.

"Oh! It's starting!" Kari cried as she jerked herself back around and grasped the rail with her scorching hands. Hiei leaned over her left shoulder to get a better look at the ground, keeping just the barest bit of space between them. The city lights had not come on but throughout the streets, starting in the park and moving outward, a glow started to spread. Slowly, the golden lights began to rise and multiply, filling the sky. The river was lighting up, too; starting at the edges and slowly moving into the middle.

"Wow," Kari said, delighted and smiling. "This is...it's beautiful." Hiei glanced down at her, taking in her profile. She was beaming, taking in as much of the sight as she could.

_Beautiful..._the voice whispered to him. Hiei's eyes drifted to her other shoulder, where her hair was still tied to the side in a low ponytail. He suddenly felt the need to touch it and his right hand lifted from the rail, almost on its own. His fingers crept closer, yearning to feel her. She was so warm, so close; he was entranced.

The wind changed and Kari's hair blew across her collar, like it was reaching for him. Kari's scent filled his nose, a mix of earth and smoky textures, sweet and fiery...and something else. Hiei stiffened.

_Human._

_Hiei, Kari is human,_ Kurama's voice rang in his head like a cruel alarm clock rousing him from a peaceful dream. His right hand crunched into a fist and Hiei forced it back to the rail. The warmth that had been spreading through him dimmed and Hiei steeled himself.

He stared out into the lantern filled sky, questioning everything he was feeling. He hated humans, he had always hated humans. Why was he doing this? Because he liked to see her smile? Because he wanted to be the reason she did? What the hell was wrong with him?!

_She is different,_ the voice persisted. _She is special._

"Hiei?" Kari's soft voice broke him from his reverie and he looked to her face. She had turned away from the lanterns and was looking at him intently. "Will you ever come back from Demon World?"

He couldn't breath; he couldn't think. Those eyes on him were so unsettling. He could see everything in those eyes.

_She will miss you,_ the voice whispered.

Would he miss her, too? Was he capable of such a thing? He wasn't sure. He waited, trying to find the answer.

"In three months, before the first snow," Hiei looked back out across the sky, "I'll come back," he promised and realized he meant it. She offered up that smile again and turned back to face the river. She leaned back against him ever so slightly and Hiei let her.

"I'm gonna hold ya to that."

* * *

_Author's note: This chapter was so hard to write since it was not originally part of the story. For the sake of moving the story along, I had to cut a scene but I think I will post all my deleted scenes for this story in a separate one. Once this is completed, that is. Please leave a review and the next chapter is coming soon! _


	13. Chapter 13

Time was going by too quickly. It had felt like the summer had only began a few days ago but now the autumn was looming over them all. Keiko and Kuwabara were looking forward to their final year of school, relishing the thought of graduation. Kurama, too, was prepared for the fall and Yusuke, well, he didn't really have a plan but that was normal.

Kari and Hiei, however, could both feel the pressure of their imminent departure; Hiei back to demon world and Kari to the city. Since their return from the Obon festival, Kari and Hiei had taken to training rigorously. Everyday, rain or shine, they would disappear into the woods and some days they didn't return until well after the moon had risen high in the night sky. The two were inseparable and they knew that their remaining time together was short.

* * *

Kari had Hiei on the ropes. The two were sparring under a bright, summer sun and the spread of foliage above them was doing little to shade them. The demon was challenging her, pushing her limits by dodging in and out of the trees as she attacked. They had been at it for hours and Kari was certain she had picked out Hiei's pattern. Oh, she had a plan; this time she was going to win.

Hiei blocked and juked right, his confident smirk shoving Kari closer and closer to her breaking point. She knew he was about to feint back to the left and she was ready.

"Gotcha!" Kari called as her fist flew at the demon's face. Suddenly, Hiei blinked out of sight and Kari's attack smacked harshly into the tree that had taken Hiei's place. The wood caved against her fist and splinters caught into her skin. "Shit!" Kari yanked her hand back, eyes tearing as she tried to dislodge the shards.

Hiei laughed from behind her and Kari turned to glare at him. He was leaning against another tree and watching her, amused by her pain.

"I really hate it when you do the super speed thing. I woulda hit you," Kari groused as her hand exploded into flames, burning away the wood and healing the wounds until nothing was left but clear, unblemished skin. Kari flexed her fingers experimentally and cast the demon a bemused grin. "It's really not fair that you can move like that."

"Fair is for poker," Hiei replied, still smirking. "If you want to move like I do, keep training."

"I'm not a demon, remember? I can't be that fast," Kari retorted, sure that Hiei was teasing her.

"Actually, my abilities are not strictly demon. You could probably do it," Hiei said with a serious look. Kari blinked at him, letting what Hiei said sink in, and then her face lit up with a huge smile.

"Seriously?!" Kari cried, excitement pouring from her. "How? I wanna learn!" Hiei chuckled at her antics and shoved off from the tree. The demon blinked out of sight and reappeared to Kari's right.

"You have to pull from your spirit energy to create the speed. Other than that, just try not to trip," Hiei instructed. Kari cocked her head to the side, not completely understanding. Hiei sighed. "It's all about intention. Focus on the movement."

"Alright," Kari replied warily. Setting her sights on a tree only a few paces away, she flared her energy and tried to focus on her running. She ran for the tree and had to admit that the pull on her energy did give her a boost, but she was still no where as fast as Hiei. "How was that?"

"You have the basic idea but need to focus more. Do it again." Kari obeyed and ran back toward the demon, doing her best to pull on her energy. She slid to a stop next to Hiei and swayed slightly on her feet.

"Oh, that makes me dizzy," she muttered and leaned against the tree.

"That's because you are using too much energy," Hiei scoffed, not the least bit concerned. He knew she was tough.

"How can I be using too much? I barely sped up!" she argued, irritated that she felt so tired now with nothing to really show for it.

"You'll get faster with practice but its no use if you use all your energy so quickly," Hiei explained and shoved off from the tree. "Come on. We're going back."

"Huh? But it's still early!" Kari whined and trailed behind him. "I'm not that tired. I want to train some more." Hiei glanced back at her with an evil grin.

"I didn't say we were done training."

* * *

"You have seriously lost your marbles if you think I'm going to do that!" Genkai barked at Hiei from the walkway. Kari, who was standing just behind the demon, flinched at her tone but Hiei didn't budge.

"It's necessary for her training," Hiei shot back, his features stoic. "Kari is more than capable of handling it." Genkai growled and turned her glare on the girl.

"You just gonna stand there and let him make all these decisions for you?"

"The only person making any decisions here is me," Kari retorted. "Hiei explained how this works and I agreed."

"Do you understand what this could do to your body if you're not strong enough?" Genkai pushed. Kari nodded.

"Yes and I will be fine. I'm not the same little girl who showed up three months ago." Genkai maintained her glare, waiting for Kari to crack under the stare. The girl stood strong and Hiei smirked.

"Very well," Genkai sighed and stepped down to the grass. Kari grinned and stepped back to give the old psychic some room. Hiei took a seat on the walkway, crossing his arms, and watched.

"Hold out your hands." Kari complied and offered both hands. Genkai began to chant and her hands to glow with a gold light. She trailed the light around Kari's wrists and the light constricted clamping the girls arms together. Kari let out a yelp and almost fell forward from the weight but she strained to remain standing.

"Now, your ankles," Genkai said with a small smile, amazed at Kari's resilience. She kneeled behind Kari and placed her hands out so the energy encircled the girl's legs as well. Kari was struggling, shaking under the strain, but she still didn't topple over from the constraints.

"Use your energy," Hiei added, still watching. Kari powered up and focused. Slowly, she was able to move, little by little. Finally, she got a grasp on how to maintain the flow of her energy and the spirit cuffs blinked out of sight; however, the strain on her energy remained.

"Very good, Kari," Genkai congratulated and walked back around to face the girl. "Just keep that up and you shouldn't be in too much trouble." Kari smiled down at the psychic and bowed.

"Thank you, Master Genkai." Hiei pushed himself off the walkway and came to stand next to Kari. Kari smiled up at him and the demon couldn't help but return it with a grin of his own.

"Back to work." Kari nodded and the two moved to head back into the forest.

"Wait!" Kari turned back to Genkai, confused. "There is a safety word to release the spell."

"I know what it is," Hiei interrupted. "I will tell her when she's ready. Let's go." Kari nodded and gave one last wave to Genkai before she and Hiei vanished back into the trees.

"You can come out now." Kurama stepped out of the temple. His face was creased with concern. "Your hair is going to turn white sooner than you want if you keep worrying so much."

"You don't see anything wrong with how they interact with each other?" Kurama questioned, still gazing out into the trees.

"You do?" Genkai countered and placed her hands behind her back.

"Hiei is a demon."

"And Kari is anything but an ordinary human." Genkai turned to return inside the temple. "It's not our business. And even if it was, they clearly offer something that the other needs. It's not our place to interfere."

"And what if demons attack again, looking for a weak point to get to Hiei?" Kurama countered. He needed Genkai to be on his side about this, but he was to have no such luck.

"Hiei is more than capable of handling any backlash from the demon world."

"He could push Kari too far. He sees her like he sees Yusuke!" Genkai laughed at the statement and couldn't help but feel a little bad for Kurama's well placed concerns.

"Please. If Hiei sees Yusuke and Kari as the same, Keiko should be worried about competition!" Kurama blanched at the insinuation and sighed. Clearly Genkai was not going to back him up in this. The older woman moved towards the temple and left Kurama with one last piece of advice.

"Life is too short to give up on something that makes you happy."

* * *

The next day, the group prepared to leave. Yukina was staying behind with Genkai while Keiko, Yusuke, Kurama, Kuwabara, and Kari marched down the stairs. Yusuke and Kuwabara were already arguing while Keiko laughed. Kurama was enjoying their antics as well.

Kari was taking up the rear, dragging her feet and wishing things could be different. How could she cope with returning to her normal life after this summer? She stopped her progress down the stairs and the wind rustled her loose hair, tossing it wildly.

_It will all be so...dull now, _she thought miserably. The sounds and hustle of the city was daunting after all her time here. She knew she had to go back and finish school but, the fact of the matter was, she really didn't want to.

_I want my freedom_, Kari reasoned. _That's why I want to stay._

The tingle worked down her back and Kari jerked her head up. Hiei had appeared in a tree just off the path of the stairs and he was looking at her. Kari was reminded of that first day at the temple, her first sighting of Hiei. It felt like all of that had happened a lifetime ago. They had become great friends over the months and Kari felt a pang in her chest.

She was going to miss him. A lot.

Unwilling and unable to really process her feelings towards the demon at the moment, Kari simply threw him a smile and held up three fingers by her head.

_Three months, _she thought. She winked at the demon and then continued down the stairs.

_Three months._ Kari had no doubt she would be counting down the days until she could come back to the temple and see Hiei again.

Hiei watched her until she disappeared from sight; her long, dark hair waving in the wind was the last he saw of her. He closed his eyes and let out a breath. He could still see her in his minds eye, looking up at him with those damned eyes and that smile.

_Three months. _Hiei felt the warmth bloom in his chest again and the heat spread through him, making him growl lightly. He didn't understand what this feeling was but he did wonder how long it would last.

Steeling himself, Hiei willed the last image of Kari from his mind and stood. It was time for him to return from demon world. As he ran for the portal, Hiei couldn't help but feel like he was leaving a part of himself behind.

* * *

_Author's note: Since this chapter is so short, I decided to go ahead and post it. The next chapter is completely written and ready to be uploaded, too. However, I will need at least 10 new reviews before I can do that. :) Thanks for reading! _


	14. Chapter 14

Kari sat at a booth in the Yukimora's restaurant, staring out the window. Her's and Keiko's school work lay spread before them but Kari couldn't concentrate on math on such a beautiful day.

_I could be out running,_ Kari thought dismally. Thoughts of Genkai's forest and it's unexplored trails flashed through her mind; followed by a pair of very red eyes. Kari felt herself blush a little at the thought of her fire demon friend. A tug of the spirit cuffs, still locked around her spirit energy, brought her back to the real world. Kari steeled her resolve and concentrated on getting her spirit energy just right so the cuffs wouldn't completely disable her. _I've gotten better. And faster, _Kari thought with a smile and allowed her mind to return to the last time she and Hiei had trained together. Hiei had pushed her limits and wouldn't let her stop until she could maintain her control over the spirit cuffs.

_It's been almost two months,_ Kari mused. It had been so strange to go back to her normal routine after everything that had happened. School had seemed boring before but now Kari could barely stand to go. She wanted to be out in the world, exploring and being free. Mostly, she missed spending time with Hiei. _He gets me, _Kari thought with a small smile.

"Hey!" Kari jumped at Keiko's outburst. She turned her startled green eyes turned away from the window and to her, now perturbed, friend.

"What?!" Keiko heaved a sigh.

"I asked you what you got for number eight but you obviously aren't even trying to do your homework." Keiko rolled her eyes and snatched the workbook from her friend. "I don't think Mr. Yamada is gonna accept doodles of little circles for a grade." Kari looked sheepishly at Keiko.

"I'm sorry. It's just such a nice day and-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But we have school work to complete. If we don't, how can we expect to get into university?" Keiko reasoned as she looked over the few answers Kari had scribbled down. She glanced up when Kari didn't answer. The girl was once again staring out the window with crestfallen eyes. "What's wrong?"

"It's just so….boring." Kari flopped her head down on the table, black curls fanning around her. Keiko laughed.

"Well, maybe if you're lucky, Koenma will come by today." Kari groaned and turned her head up to glare at her friend. "What?"

Koenma had taken to visiting the human world quite often in the past two months. In fact, he had practically made it his mission to find Kari, wherever she was, and have a quick chat. Whether she was at home, running in the park, or even at school. Kari understood what Koenma was trying to get at by seeing her so much but mostly, she was just annoyed.

"You are not so cute, Keiko Yukimora." Kari thrust her chin into her palm. "Koenma is….um…." Kari's eyes softened in confusion, unsure what she wanted to say. Keiko took the chance to interrupt.

"He's really nice." Kari rolled her eyes.

"He's _too_ nice." Keiko laughed at her befuddled friend.

"Oh, right, I forgot. You only like grumpy demons," Keiko replied sarcastically and Kari stiffened a bit.

"Hey! Hiei is actually pretty cool and he's helped me out a lot, thank you very much. See?" Kari held up her bare palms to show her friend. "No gloves, so there."

"So, what? Do you like Hiei or something?" Kari cocked a brow.

"Beg pardon?" Keiko rolled her eyes at her oblivious classmate. She was gonna have to spell it out.

"Do you like Hiei as more than just a friend, Kari." Kari's eyes widened at the question and a blush rushed to her cheeks.

"Huh?! Of course not!" Kari babbled. "I mean, yeah, he is really fun and we get along and he is pretty good looking-" Kari slammed a hand over her mouth at her last confession and Keiko's jaw dropped.

"Oh my god! You have a crush on Hiei?!" Kari shook her head fervently "no."

"No, no, no, no. I do _not._ We are friends and just friends...just friends." Kari reassured herself but Keiko could see the internal struggle she was having. Kari steeled herself and gave Keiko a look of determination. "Hiei and I are friends. Period. End of story. Besides, humans and demons can't have, like, _romantic_ relationships anyway. It gets too complicated. Plus, he spends a lot of time in demon world so….yeah..."

Keiko smirked and turned back to her school work.

"Ok, whatever you say." Kari bristled and was ready to tell Keiko, once again, that she did not have feelings for Hiei when the door to the restaurant chimed open.

In walked the Prince of the Spirit World, Koenma. He was obviously trying to pose against the blaring sunlight flooding through the door to seem more cool. Kari groaned and laid her head back on the table.

_Maybe if I play dead, he will just go away._ Koenma sauntered to the table with a cocky grin.

"Hello, Keiko. And Kari, how delightful to see you." Kari continued to lay her head on the table and only gave a little wave in greeting. Koenma would not be deterred. "Kari, I actually wanted to see if you….um.."Koenma gulped and continued. "Would you like to get dinner this evening?"

Kari's head shot up in alarm and she looked quizzically at the prince.

"Say what?" Keiko decided at that moment to intervene.

"What she means is, she would _love_ to...," Kari turned her wide eyes on Keiko. "...BUT," Keiko said pointedly. "we have finals coming up and we really need to study." Kari nodded, catching onto her brilliant friend.

"Yeah, sorry! Studying! For finals! Gotta do it!" Kari laughed and Keiko rolled her eyes at Kari's inability to be smooth in this situation.

"Oh, alright." Koenma looked sad and Keiko felt a little sorry for the guy. "Well, I will be back in a few weeks. Maybe we can go out then?" Kari looked fervently to Keiko for more help but the brunette only shrugged. Kari was on her own this time.

"Well, uh...we are actually going to Genkai's as soon as school is wrapped up for the winter break, so…" Kari gave a forced smile to the prince. _Please get the freakin' clue!_ Koenma only smiled.

"Well, then. I guess I can just meet you guys there! There is a lovely village on the mountain and we could have dinner there." Kari's head dropped back to the table in defeat.

"Yeah, sure, ok." she muttered to the tabletop while Keiko tried to contain her laughter.

"Wonderful! I'll see you then! You, too, Keiko." And with that Koenma nearly skipped from the restaurant, although that would not have been cool. Instead, he contained his joy until he made it around the corner.

As soon as the prince was gone, Kari glared up at Keiko's reddening face.

"Don't you say a damn thing." Keiko laughed while Kari sighed in frustration. God her life sucked right now.

_I wonder if Hiei is as miserable as I am right now._

* * *

"_Hiei…"_

_ He growled, hunting. He was in Genkai's forest and a twilight sky, with the barest rays of a setting sun, hung overhead._

_ "Hiei…" a little sing song voice, half laughing from somewhere in the shadows. He felt himself smirk as he prowled among the trees. A twig snapped to his right and he jolted towards the sound. Green eyes, lit with mirth, peeked from behind a tree before disappearing back into the foliage._

_ "You can't catch me," the voice challenged with another happy laugh. A flash of black hair, pale skin, those eyes again. He chased, weaving in and out of trees, trailing just behind his prey._

_ Finally, he broke into a sprint and tackled his elusive victim to the ground. Kari looked up at him, that sassy smile lighting up her face and warmth radiating from her. He purred and nuzzled into her warm neck and soft hair, her scent circling him and driving him toward the edge._

_When he looked back to her, the scene had changed. They were no longer in the forest, but rather in his room in Mukuro's fortress. Kari was still beneath him, pale and radiant against sheets as red as blood. Black hair sprawled around her in a wild array, those eyes half lidded and glowing. He growled, pleased, as he took in her nude form below him. She was so perfect and warm, her scorching hands trailing down his bare chest leisurely._

"_Hiei…" she half moaned his name and he shivered at the sound. He looked to her slightly parted, pink lips and the need for a taste overwhelmed him. He leaned in, pressing her scalding body close to his. He was so close._

* * *

Hiei jerked awake, gasping and heated. He really was in his room in Mukuro's camp but the red sheets and the sultry Kari were no where in sight. Groaning, Hiei rubbed his eyes wearily and silently berated himself.

That was the third promiscuous dream he had had of Kari this week alone. Another month of this nonsense and he didn't know what he would do. It seemed the longer he was gone from the girl's side, the more his lust for her grew.

_She's a human. Kari is a human,_ he repeated mentally as he tried to will away the image of her laid out beneath him.

_Oh, but she is beautiful. _Hiei growled at the little voice. It always had a way of showing up when he tried to push away his new feelings. Worse, it was usually right and Hiei hated to be wrong.

_I am a demon. I am a beast,_ he argued mentally.

_Beasts need to hunt. Beasts need to mate_, the voice replied. _Beasts can take what they want._

Well, Hiei couldn't argue that point. He was used to just taking what he needed and wanted, this should be no different. Of course, there was still the problem of Kari's species.

_Who is going to care?_ the voice whispered, egging him on. _Why should you? You enjoy her company._

Damn it, another point he couldn't argue. Why should he care? He didn't have to share with the world what he did with Kari. It was their business alone. No one ever had to know.

_She is strong and you want her. What is so bad about that?_

Hiei groaned again as another onslaught of images flickered across his mind. Kari and him sparring together; Kari lifting her arms over her head to fix her hair; her smiling at him and laughing.

_I want her_, Hiei finally admitted to himself. She was human and he didn't care. He had to have her but there was something more, another desire hiding in the layers of his lust.

Hiei wanted Kari to want him, too.

Sighing, Hiei rose from his bed and pulled some clothes on. He needed to speak with Mukuro about an extended leave.

* * *

"Move it, you noobs! I'm ready to get there already!" Kari called as she climbed the steps to Genkai's temple. It had been a tortuous few weeks of final exams and the group was in dire need of some good ole R &amp; R. Mostly Kari. She could barely feel the strain of the spirit cuffs anymore and she had a good feeling that she could remove them soon.

_I hope Hiei is here,_ Kari thought excitedly. While Kari daydreamed of days spent with her favorite fire demon, training and doing all the things she had been missing while back in the city, Keiko, Yusuke and Kuwabara trudged up the steps behind her.

"Wow, she sure is excited," Kuwabara remarked. "I haven't seen her this happy in a while."

"Yeah, she does seem a little 'fired up'!" Yusuke said and laughed at his own joke. Keiko rolled her eyes at her childlike boyfriend. There was no living with his stupid fire puns anymore.

"Master Genkai!" Kari called as she topped the stairs and jogged into the yard. "It's been far too long!"

"Hello, Kari." Genkai paused for a moment, looked the girl over, and smiled. "Looks like you have gotten quite a bit stronger. You've been training."

"Yeah, check it out," Kari laughed and faux flexed her arm muscles. "Those spirit cuffs have really buffed me up. Ya know, spirit energy wise."

"Hm. I wish you would rub off a bit more on that dimwit. He thinks just because he's part demon, he doesn't have to train anymore." Kari laughed at the old master and Genkai couldn't help but smile. She could see how much more comfortable Kari was in her own skin now. The fear of her powers was gone completely.

Kari's laughter died suddenly as a familiar tingle worked down her spine. Quickly, Kari turned her attention towards the tree line and there he was, standing in the open as if he had been waiting. She beamed and felt a happy heat flood her system.

"Hey! Hiei's back!" Kari moved to take off towards the demon but remembered her manners at the last moment. "Oh! Excuse me, Genkai." Kari gave a deep bow and then bolted for the trees. As she saw Kari run to greet her friend, Genkai was struck with a memory: a much younger Genkai running up to her own dear friend, all smiles and laughter. She loved to remember those times when Toguro was still her's but this time the memory did not bring along sadness or happiness, as it usually did; only trepidation. But the look on Kari's face as she had run for the trees and even Hiei's smug grin spoke volumes to the old woman.

"Those two will figure it out eventually," the old woman mused with a knowing smile and turned towards the temple.

* * *

"Hiei! Hey!" Kari called as she jogged up to the demon. Hiei was leaning against a tree, watching her run to him. He felt that warmth start up in him. She was more beautiful than he remembered. Her hair was longer now, but still just as wild; and even with the dropping temperatures, Kari was still wearing shorts and a tank top. Hiei couldn't believe it had taken him so long to realise just how attractive she really was.

Kari slowed as she neared and started to pull her hair to one side, a nervous habit. Kari suddenly felt her own heat surge as it finally sank in just how happy she was to see the fire demon again. Hiei's eyes locked on her bared neck and he growled lightly.

_Not yet_.

"Hn. Looks like you have been training." Kari smiled.

"Yeah, Genkai just said I looked a lot stronger. And I barely feel the spirit cuffs at all anymore." Hiei smirked and pushed himself from the tree.

"Well, then it's time to remove them." Hiei moved into the forest and Kari fell in beside him.

"Yes!" Kari fist bumped the air and Hiei couldn't help but be amused at her antics. "I'll be all fast like you when they're off, right?"

"Almost, " Hiei offered. "You will need more training to control it."

"Well, I'm gonna be here for a few weeks so we can train everyday if you want." Hiei glanced at the innocent girl.

_That's exactly what I want,_ he thought as the girl jumped from root to root.

"So, how was demon world?" Kari asked lightly and smiled at him. She could feel all her worries slip away as she fell back into the routine she had been craving.

"Hn." Kari rolled her eyes at his lack of response. Classic Hiei.

"Your way with words is astounding." Kari replied sarcastically. "Well, how long ya planning on staying this time? Like I said, we are out of school for the next few weeks."

"I've taken an indefinite leave from the border patrol so I will be here for a while." Hiei smirked as Kari's face lit up. Hiei was staying in human world for the foreseeable future and that meant more time with him. Things were looking up.

"Wait, so are ever going back?"

"I will return to demon world every few months but only for a few days." Hiei said pointedly, as if he was trying to make Kari understood that he wanted to be in the human world. Before Kari could grill him with more questions, Hiei stopped.

"Here is fine," he said as they walked into a clearing. Kari took in the vast land, circled by old oaks; the leaves, a variety of colors, littered the ground from the ending autumn. "Are you ready?" Kari turned back to the demon and nodded. Hiei cocked a grin.

"Good. I don't deal with wimps." Kari crossed her arms and stuck out her tongue at him.

"I am no wimp. Just tell me the secret word, big shot." Kari grinned at him.

"Alright," Hiei stepped close to the girl and watched her expression change from determination to slightly fllustered. He spun Kari around by the shoulders so she looked to the center of the clearing. He leaned in close to her ear and Kari shivered as his breath rushed over her ear. "You have to go to the center, understand?" Kari could only nod. Hiei was so close and the feel of his rough hands on her bare shoulders was making her blush. Thank god he couldn't see her face! She almost missed Hiei muttering the word that would release her from the spirit cuffs before he gently pushed her away.

Still confused by the demon's odd behavior, Kari could barely focus on what she was supposed to be doing. As she reached the center of the clearing, Kari looked back to him. Hiei appeared as normal as ever; arms crossed over his chest and that cocky smirk he was known for. Kari shifted her sight down to her hands, ungloved as was her usual now, and took a deep breath.

"Avitus."

The spirit cuffs flashed around her wrists and ankles, wavering with the power of that one little word. Kari felt her spirit energy release as the cuffs vanished and the sheer enormity of her unsuppressed power took her breath away. With a shout, fire erupted from her body and outward; raging across the clearing and burning up the layer of dead foliage across the ground. Kari steeled herself and willed her power to go upward, saving the trees from being bursting into piles of ashes. The flames twisted and sparked as they flew upwards into the sky, like a beacon. Finally, her power had released to a more comfortable level and Kari willed the flames to disappear. She panted with the sheer force of her energy and looked down at her palms.

"Holy shit," she muttered and then gave a small laugh. She felt amazing; like she could take on a hundred demons with no strain.

Hiei watched, impressed, as the girl's power roared. She was almost on his level now, but not quite. Kari had looked breath taking surrounded by her fire, her power.

_I want her_, Hiei thought with a grin. The urge was growing stronger but he knew he still had to wait. Hiei was pulled from his reverie as Kari shouted to him.

"Oh my god, Hiei! Did you see that?! That was so freakin' coo-" Kari made a step towards the demon and somehow wound up moving several feet forward in a flash. She crashed into the ground with an 'oomph!' Hiei laughed at her bewildered expression and flashed to her side.

"The fuck?!" Kari ground out as she sat up and brushed dirt from her tank top.

"You wanted to be fast," Hiei reminded her, towering over the girl. Kari grinned and pushed herself up.

"Yeah, well I feel so light now with the spirit cuffs gone," Kari reasoned as she tentatively took a step forward, fighting the urge to move too quickly. She had been training on using her spirit energy to move faster over the past three months; now, with the spirit cuffs finally gone, the action came naturally. Hiei smirked and flashed to the other side of the clearing.

"Well, come on," he called, challenging Kari's new ability. Kari took a deep breath and pushed herself to the demon. It was exhilarating to feel the ground pass beneath her so easily. It was not exhilarating to try to stop and go flying towards the ground again. This time, however, Hiei caught her around the waist before she could flop to the ground. Kari looked up at him with a sheepish grin.

"This is harder than it looks," Kari laughed as she pulled herself up. Hiei didn't reply, but merely flashed out of sight again. He reappeared on the other side of the clearing and waited. Kari leapt into action and slid to stop beside the demon, only stumbling slightly. She grinned in triumph. Without waiting for direction, Kari sped around the outskirts of the clearing, reveling in her new speed.

"Not bad for a new kid, am I right?" Kari laughed as she slid back to a stop in front of Hiei. Then, her eyes lit up with a grand idea. Kari smacked Hiei's bicep with the palm of her hand and then sped back a few feet, waiting for him to chase. Hiei just looked confused.

"Tag?" Kari tried. Hiei just cocked an eyebrow. Kari leapt back in front of him "Ok, I tag and you're it. So now, you chase and tag me then I'm it. Get it?" Kari said with another tap on his arm. Hiei still looked unsure and Kari sighed.

"It's a game, Hiei. Just try it. Now, tag. You're. It." Kari said again with a tap for every one of the last three words and sped to the other side of the clearing. Hiei grinned as realization overcame him. She wanted him to chase her? Fine.

Hiei flashed behind the girl, taking her by surprise. He placed both hands on her shoulders once again and murmured, "_You're_ it," before disappearing. Kari grinned and took off after him.

This was what they both needed.

* * *

Keiko, Yukina, and Genkai were all enjoying some tea on the front walkway of the temple. Kurama,Yusuke, and Kuwabara had all adjourned inside to discuss the goings on in demon world.

Keiko and Yukina were chatting happily about all the things they wanted to do while the group was all together. A trip to the village before the snow started to come in, another evening at the hotsprings, and so on.

"We should go to the village for dinner tonight," Keiko said as she took another sip of tea. Yukina smiled and nodded her head in agreement.

"That's a great idea," Yukina replied.

"What's a great idea?" the girls turned toward the chipper voice of Botan as the grim reaper topped the long staircase. A sweaty Koenma, panting from the exertion, was not far behind her.

"Hey, Botan! What a nice surprise!" Keiko called as the two walked towards the temple. "Koenma, would you like some water or something?" The spirit prince waved a hand in denial as he stooped over to catch his breath.

"Are all those stairs really necessary, Genkai?" he huffed out as he swiped some sweat from his forehead. The girls giggled at the disheveled prince while Genkai just rolled her eyes.

"Weakling," the old psychic muttered before she gathered up her tea cup and excused herself inside. Koenma groaned in embarrassment and the girls' giggles continued.

"What brings you two to the human world?" Yukina asked politely as she poured a cup of tea for the two newcomers.

"Well," Botan started, "I have a little time off and I figured 'Why not come see all my good friends?'" Botan laughed and leaned in to whisper to Keiko and Yukina. "Koenma insisted he come along. Said he had a 'personal matter' to attend to."

"Botan!" Koenma groaned in embarrassment before straightening up and trying to take on a superior stance. "It is my job, as chief executive of the Spirit World, to keep an eye on all the gifted humans in my sector."

"Which includes Kari?" Keiko laughed. Yukina and Botan just looked at her, confused, and Keiko waved a hand as if to say, 'I'll tell you later.' Koenma brightened at the mention of Kari but tried to play it off.

"Oh, is Kari here?" he asked nonchalantly, looking at his nails as if he wasn't really interested in the girl.

"Yeah, she's around here somewhere." Keiko added as she took another sip of tea.

"She's probably with Hiei," Yukina added. "I saw them head into the woods not too long ago. They are usually back before dark." Koenma knelt down into the ice maiden's face, causing her to sit back in surprise.

"Where?!" Koenma asked earnestly. Yukina balked and pointed a delicate finger to the left.

"Um, they usually come in from the trees by the stone courtyard," she said. Koenma's face lit up and Keiko took a chance to interject before the prince could run off.

"Oh, we were thinking of going into the village for dinner. You guys should come." Koenma looked to the brunette and then straightened up, putting his hand under his chin as if deep in thought. After a moment, he replied.

"Yes, I suppose we could stay for dinner. I should go tell Kari. Excuse me!" and the princes was gone in a flash of dust towards the stone courtyard around the corner.

All three girls watched as he disappeared around the side of the temple.

"Wow, I guess I just set Kari up on a date," Keiko mused.

* * *

Koenma was pacing around the wide, circular courtyard where Yukina had said Kari would return to.

"Kari, we are all going to the village tonight. Shall it be a date?...No, that's no good. Um...Kari, how about dinner? With the gang? Urgh!" Koenma had no idea how he was going to ask the girl on a date if said date was really a group dinner.

_Maybe we could go on a walk after; just the two of us._ Koenma thought. Suddenly, thoughts of a moonlit walk around a small koi pond filled his thoughts. Daydream Kari wore a beautiful, white dress that fell to the stone walkway. Her hair was pulled into a sophisticated braid down her back and she looked so gentle, throwing small handfuls of bread to the ducks. A wind would pass, making her shiver and Koenma would place his jacket about her shoulders. She would stare gratefully into his eyes and…Koenma blushed at his day dream. It would be a perfect first date.

It was at that moment that a black blur blazed out of the treeline with another, lighter blur not far behind. Koenma jumped in surprised as he caught sight of exactly who it was. The two came into focus as Hiei paused mid stride and darted to the left. Kari, however, still not completely used to her new speed, tried to slide left but just wound up tumbling to the ground.

"Kari!" Koenma called as he jogged over to the girl. Hiei jerked his eyes up towards the prince, whom he had not noticed; his eyes lost their humor as Koenma approached Kari, still sprawled out on the ground.

Kari looked up, just as surprised to see Koenma as Hiei was. Hiei heard her mumble an "Oh, good grief," as she pushed herself to a seated position. Apparently, she was not happy to see the prince either.

"Kari! Are you alright?" Koenma offered the girl a hand but Kari just waved it away and pulled herself from the ground.

"Yeah, course I am. What are you doing here, Koenma?" Kari asked as she dusted some of the dirt from her clothes. Real Kari was nothing like Koenma's day dream. Her clothes were covered in grass and dirt and her black curls were in all kinds of disarray.

"Um...wow! You sure got fast!" Koenma said with a forced laugh. Hiei rolled his eyes at the bumbling prince and Kari just cocked an eyebrow.

"Uh huh. You didn't answer my question," Kari stated as she tried to detangle her hair with her fingers. She was not interested in standing here talking to Koenma when she could still be training.

"Oh right, um…" Koenma cast a glance at Hiei but the fire demon didn't appear to be listening to his exchange with Kari. _Just spit it out! _Koenma took a deep breath.

"Well, Keiko said we were all going to the village for dinner and I was hoping...um...will….will you be my…."Koenma gulped. "...date?" Kari and Hiei both turned their eyes on Koenma, shocked. Hiei stiffened in anger and Kari just gaped.

"Come again?" Kari asked with a cocked brow. "A date?" Koenma blushed crimson.

"Yes, well, you said, at the diner, that we could go out the next time I was in human world and well, here I am!" Koenma laughed again. "So….um…"

Kari blinked several times in surprise. Suddenly, the memory of that day at the diner flashed across her mind. _Shit,_ Kari looked to Hiei for an out but the demon was just glaring at Koenma, the fury radiating from him. _What's got him so pissed?_

"Well, uh…" a blush lit up Kari's face and she felt the heat surge to her fingertips. Koenma looked at her expectantly; his big brown eyes shining with hope. Finally, Kari caved out of sheer embarrassment. "I mean, since the whole gang is going…um, ok?"

Koenma whooped in delight and began to babble excitedly about how fun the night was going to be. Kari forced an awkward smile and looked over to Hiei. The prince's voice completely drowned out as she met the demon's red eyes. Kari felt a thump in her chest at the sheer anger reflected in those red depths. She heard Hiei growl, so low she barely caught it, before vanishing back into the forest.

Kari considered running after him but Koenma was already ushering her towards the house.

_Guess I'll have to catch up with him later,_ she thought and groaned at the thought of the night ahead. So much for relaxing.

* * *

Hiei watched Kari disappear into the temple, with the still talking Koenma on her heels, from the top of a tree not far from the courtyard. He growled again, anger flooding his system. The whole purpose of coming to the human world was to take the girl for himself. Now, here was that stupid, weakling Prince; swooping in as if he had any right to her. The branch Hiei had been grasping above his head snapped from the force of his grip. He let the branch crash to the forest floor without a thought.

Hiei masked his energy and sped deeper into the woods. He needed a new plan, but more importantly, he need to blow off some steam.

* * *

Oh, she was so freakin' uncomfortable. When Kari had envisioned returning to Genkai's temple, she had dreamed of running wild and training. Not wearing a dress, albeit a short one, sitting in a restaurant, and having to listen to Koenma blather on and on about 'how important he was in the Spirit World' and what not.

In truth, Kari wasn't really listening; just smiling and nodding every few minutes. Koenma was more than able to carry on the conversation for the both of them. Her eyes danced around the table to her various friends. They all looked so happy to be in the village and having dinner together. Even though Hiei had not come with them.

Kari sighed inwardly and took another bite of her dinner. She kept seeing his furious red eyes every time she closed her own and it left her a little breathless. She had no choice but to admit it to herself: she had some kind of feelings towards the demon.

_I'm not in love with him,_ Kari reasoned with herself. _I just need to be around him. I...I just really like him._ Thoughts of spending more time with Hiei brought on a happiness that Kari reveled in but also trepidation. She glanced up to Keiko and thought back to the conversation they had had right after Koenma had shown up.

* * *

Keiko was ripping through Kari's bag, trying to find something suitable for the girl to wear for dinner.

"How is it you only brought shorts and t shirts? Don't you have at least one skirt?" Keiko glanced over at Kari, who was laid out on the bed with one of her arms thrown over her eyes.

"I didn't think I would need anything like that," Kari tossed her a glare. "I also didn't think that Koenma, the stalker prince, was seriously going to show up." Keiko sighed and moved to sit on the bed.

"Koenma's really nice, you know," Keiko offered. Kari scoffed and muttered an 'I know.' "He also likes you. A lot. Would it really hurt to give him a chance?" Kari groaned and sat up, swiping some hair from her face.

"I just don't like Koenma like that," Kari muttered.

"You like Hiei, instead?" Keiko asked and Kari sighed.

"I don't know." Silence hung between the two of them for a few minutes until Keiko spoke up again.

"I think...you should go out with Koenma." Kari rolled her eyes at her friend but Keiko continued. "Just for tonight. Maybe it will help you figure out how you feel about everything if you just...jump in head first."

* * *

Well, Keiko had been right. Kari had started to figure out how she felt about everything while out with them. As they all stood, dinner long consumed and ready to return to the temple, Kari knew she would need to look for Hiei when she got back. She didn't know what she would say to him or what would happen, but she did know that she needed to do something.

Too bad Koenma, once again, had a different plan.

"So, Kari. Are you ready to go to the park?" Koenma offered his arm gallantly and Kari just looked at him confused.

"Park?" she questioned. They were all standing outside the restaurant and while the rest of the group had turned to the right, Koenma was angling Kari to the left.

"Yes, remember? I asked you during dinner if you would like to go afterwards? Just the two of us?"

_Damn it. This is what I get for daydreaming on a date,_ Kari growled inwardly. As it stood, she had one of two options: go with Koenma to the park, alone, or she could use her new speed and get the hell out of there.

"Oh, you two go have fun!" Botan gushed and started to push the rest of the group away. The idea of a romance budding between Kari and Koenma was too exciting for her not to intervene.

So much for just ditching Koenma and making a break for the temple. Even Kari couldn't be that heartless. Heat swelled in her hands as she saw the rest of her friends leave her standing there with the prince. Could this night get any more annoying?

"Well, shall we-OW!" Koenma jerked back from trying to grasp Kari's hand in his own. Kari jumped and watched as the prince blew on his singed hand, trying not to tear up over the burn.

Kari was horrified. She had burned Koenma. True, it had been a complete accident since she had not been paying attention when he made to touch her, but this was one of her worst nightmares. Her first thought was of '_ .'_ but that was merely a knee jerk reaction. Shaking away the onslaught of mild panic, Kari stepped back from the prince a bit and pulled her hands behind her back.

"Sorry, Koenma. I should have warned you about that," she offered as she willed away the worst of the heat. She started walking past the prince and towards the park.

"Is...is that all the time?" Koenma questioned as he fell in step with her.

"Yeah. It just gets a little worse when I'm flustered or angry," Kari replied, not looking at him.

"That's horrible," Koenma muttered and Kari tensed a bit.

_It's what I am,_ she thought angrily. _One lap around the park and then it's back to Genkai's._

Kari was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice Koenma watching her. He smiled a bit as he thought about what she said, misinterpreting her last statement. He believed Kari to be nervous around him because she liked him. A new plan started to formulate in his head and Koenma smiled. He just had to find the right moment.

* * *

It had been almost an hour since the rest of the group had returned, without Kari and Koenma. Hiei was growing impatient. His plan had been to whisk Kari away, much like he had at the Obon festival, as soon as she returned. He had to get her away from everyone, especially Koenma, if he was going to make his move.

Hiei had camped out in a tall tree not far from the top of the stairs. So far, he had resisted the urge to watch Kari using his Jagan eye but he was starting to lose that battle.

_What could be taking them so long?_ he questioned irritably. Hiei was almost positive that Kari had no feelings towards Koenma but the longer she took to return, the more he was beginning to question that.

_She's here,_ the voice suddenly purred to him. Hiei felt the tingle roll down his spine as he saw Kari and Koenma making their way up the last of the stairs. He could sense Kari's energy flaring from irritation and he couldn't help but smirk. The demon lowered his energy and waited. He knew Koenma would be leaving soon and hopefully Kari would tell him off.

* * *

Kari was so busy chanting _'Almost there. Almost there,'_ in her head and ignoring Koenma's huffs and complaints from behind her that she barely felt the tingle work down her back.

_Hiei,_ she thought excitedly as she tried to lock onto his energy. Kari cleared the last steps and smiled.

"Uh, thanks for the night out, Koenma," she said over her shoulder, scanning the trees to try to find Hiei. Koenma was still a few steps behind her, exhausted from the climb.

"Oh, anytim-WOAH!" Koenma tripped on the last step and face planted onto the stone walkway. Kari covered her mouth, trying to stifle her laugh at how clumsy the prince could be.

"You ok?" she asked, choking back the laugh and kneeling to make sure he wasn't hurt. For as much as Koenma annoyed her, she shouldn't get so much joy out of seeing him injured.

"Yes, yes," Koenma muttered and reached a hand, grabbing hold of Kari's shoulder to pull himself up. Kari tried to shrink away from his touch but Koenma was holding tight. "Kari?" Koenma turned his head up, kneeling so he was towering over the smaller girl a bit. Kari blinked at the expression in his eyes. Then, without any warning, Koenma dove forward and pressed his lips roughly against Kari's.

Kari didn't know how to react. Her eyes were wide while Koenma's were closed tightly. She couldn't breath, she couldn't move. She felt nothing except really uncomfortable.

_Not him._

It was the only thought that echoed through her mind. Suddenly, Kari felt her heat swarming within, blistering and raging. Her energy quickly escaped with a jolt and Koenma ripped himself away with a cry of pain. Kari's rise in heat had burned Koenma while he was still kissing her.

Kari watched, detached, as Koenma fanned at his burning face. She could feel her flames itching to be released and there was this angry, feral rage starting to boil.

That was her first kiss and Kari couldn't decide what she was more upset about: that it was with Koenma or that she hadn't felt anything.

"Sorry," she muttered with no sympathy. She had too many feelings swirling in her head to process. Kari pushed herself to her feet and turned to enter the temple. Koenma scrambled up behind her, but Kari kept her back to him.

"Goodnight, Koenma." Kari blinked out of sight, using her new speed to vanish without a trace.

"Um...goodnight," Koenma murmured to the empty air. He felt a shiver run down his spine and the prince quickly hurried away. While kissing Kari had been his plan, her disappearing on him had not.

_She was just embarrassed about burning me,_ Koenma reasoned and winced, his face still tender. He twitched again and quickened his pace. He felt like he was being watched.

And he was right. Hiei had seen everything unfold and the demon was beyond furious. He couldn't go to Kari now. He could barely hold himself back from attacking Koenma outright and ripping out his throat. Snarling, Hiei, too, blurred out of sight.

* * *

_Author's note: Ok, here is our extra long chapter, as promised! Thank you for all the reviews! At time of posting, the count is 60. If I get another 10, I'll post the next chapter. It's ready and waiting. Just sitting in my Google Drive. :)  
_

_Thanks for reading!_


	15. Chapter 15

The next day, Kari rose early and dressed in her usual shorts and tank top. It was definitely cold outside, the prospect of snow on the rise, but she didn't care. The cold didn't bother her in the least.

Flashes of the memory of last night's kiss with Koenma, her first kiss, kept running through her mind and Kari could only frown. _Not him. _She had spent half the night tossing and turning and trying to figure out what she wanted.

With a sigh, Kari decided to think about the disappointing occurrence no more and went to grab a snack before meeting Hiei in the yard. She needed to run her frustration out. Kari turned the corner to enter the kitchen and was surprised to run head long into the fire demon.

"Oh! Sorry, Hiei!" Kari blurted and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear nervously. Hiei was silent. Kari cocked her head to the side and asked, "You ok?" Hiei did not reply; he merely brushed past Kari and into the kitchen. _Huh?_ No rude, playful comment on her being clumsy? No "watch where you're going" with a teasing grin? Before Kari could ask what Hiei's problem was, Botan, Yukina, and Keiko had cornered her in the kitchen and all were asking about her walk with Koenma. Well, mostly Botan was.

"How was it? Was it romantic? Thrilling? I simply must hear all the details!" Botan chirped as she pulled Kari into a chair.

"Um. It was...nice? I think?" Kari could feel Hiei's energy shift as he was sifting through the fridge. She glanced at him and could see his muscles tensed beneath his sleeveless black shirt and down his arms. Botan pushed herself into Kari's line of sight.

"You 'think'?" The grim reaper questioned with a kitty-kat like face. "Did you at least kiss him?" Kari jumped as Hiei slammed the fridge shut and marched out of the kitchen without meeting her gaze. The other girls failed to notice Hiei's abrupt departure.

"Um..." Kari felt the heat form in her fingers and blood flush her face. "He-um...I-" she stammered. Another flash of the kiss and that same thought echoed in her mind: _Not him._

"Oh my god! How was it?" Keiko and Botan gushed, both clearly more excited about the thought of Koenma's kiss than Kari was.

"Hi-Hiei is waiting on me. Gotta go!" Kari all but bolted from the kitchen, her breakfast long forgotten, and into the yard. Once a few dozen feet from the kitchen, Kari dared a sigh of relief. _Escaped, _she thought as she started for the tree line. She was not ready to talk to anyone about her private moment with Koenma last night. Hiei was leaning against a tree, eyes closed and his mouth in a terse line.

"So..." Kari ventured and Hiei opened his eyes. He didn't look toward her but rather glared at the ground. _Maybe some training would sweeten him up?_ "Um...tag or free-run?" A moment of nothing.

"You're it," Hiei said bluntly before flashing out of sight. Kari jumped on his trail and raced after him, determined to dive into the joy that was training. She dodged trees and jumped roots with as much agility as Hiei. Hiei vaulted over a tree limb, Kari followed. Hiei abruptly turned to the right and Kari frantically changed course but did not fall as she had yesterday. Finally, Kari thought Hiei was starting to pull away from her. She pushed herself and reached out toward the demon. Within seconds she had grabbed hold of Hiei's wrist and tugged. Both slid to a stop and Kari shouted a "you're it!" grinning before taking off again. Two strides later, Kari felt herself being tackled and she thumped to the ground, landing on her side, with Hiei's arms around her waist.

"Ugh...damn, Hiei! You trying to break me half or some-", Kari was stopped mid sentence as she looked behind her and straight into the intense, red of eyes of the fire demon. They were so close and bright with flicks of almost black dotting around the iris. Kari could feel every inch of Hiei's strong body behind her but she was so captivated by his eyes; two pools of swirling, raging fire. Hiei was angry. But about _what?!_

"You're it," Hiei growled before he was gone. Kari blinked and looked around her. As her heart rate returned to normal she realized that Hiei had re-appeared in between two large trees to her right. She locked with his eyes again and pulled herself up. His face was blank, stoic, but the intensity of his gaze spoke volumes.

Kari leapt toward him and they were off again. Kari realized that Hiei was not taunting her or looking back to watch her chase him, to egg her on; and she recalled that yesterday he had let her run a little farther before catching her. Kari flitted to the left and cut Hiei off, catching his arm for a second time.

Kari didn't even have a chance to call her tag before Hiei had her on her back again. His eyes bore into hers and Kari balked at his intensity.

"Hiei, what the hell?!" Kari fumed. Hiei didn't answer and disappeared. Kari hauled herself from the ground and swiped some of the dirt and grass from her clothes. She spotted Hiei a few feet away, still staring at her.

_Is he pissed at me?_ Hiei took off again and Kari chased.

_He's trying to leave me behind! _Kari thought as Hiei abruptly changed course and plunged deeper into the woods, running into territory they had never entered. Hiei was trying to lose her over the uneven and unfamiliar ground.

Kari had had enough. She leapt into the trees, using the higher ground and the element of surprise to overtake Hiei. Just as he started to pass beneath her, Kari dove from the tree, arms outstretched to tackle him. At the last moment, Hiei turned and caught Kari before she could crash into him but the momentum knocked him to the ground. Kari straddled his waist and placed her palms on his shoulders to keep him down.

"Pinned ya," she panted, hair falling on either side of her face like ebony curtains. Hiei growled and jerked to place himself in the dominant position but Kari used her legs to flip herself back on top. "What the _hell_ is your problem, Hiei?!" Kari asked as she flipped her long hair to one side. The curls brushed Hiei's chest and the fire demon looked to them and then back into Kari's green eyes. Determination and annoyance raged in red and green but neither was giving in.

"You've been pissed since yesterday. I thought you were just playing the "I'm Mr. Tough Guy" thing but clearly you're angry at me. So, you gonna tell me what I did to make you mad or keep being a jerk?" Kari was already irritated with the events of last night and all she wanted was to go back to the things that made sense and that meant training with Hiei. Hiei's look softened slightly and Kari was sure that he was about to say something but the demon just used the moment to flip the two of them so Kari was trapped underneath. Fuming, Kari struggled to push Hiei off but the demon had her pinned by the shoulders.

"Did you like it when Koenma kissed you?" The question caught her so off guard that her hands stilled on Hiei's biceps. Kari looked at his face and saw anger, determination, and...jealousy?

"What? No! The hell makes you-"

" No?" Hiei interrupted. Kari blinked. "Why not?" Kari squirmed under him and blood rushed her cheeks.

"It's just...I...he's just not my type, ok?" Kari said in a hurry. She was not used to talking about things like this, even with Keiko. She threw her head back and covered her eyes with her palms.

"I don't date a lot of guys, ya know? Cause I tend to get a little 'hot-handed'," Kari showed her palms to him in explanation. Exasperated, Kari tossed her arms out to the side and turned her head away. "I was just being nice when he asked me out. I didn't think he was gonna try that." Indignation swelled in Kari's chest and she turned back to face Hiei, eyes raging.

"Wait a minute! How do you know that Koenma kissed me?" Hiei didn't respond but Kari saw the truth behind his eyes. "Oh my god! Youwere watching me!?" Embarrassment washed over Kari and she blushed all over again as she covered her face with her hands. "I'm so freakin'- urgh! _Why_ would you do that?"

When Hiei didn't respond, Kari peaked through her fingers. He wasn't looking at her.

"I was...just..." Hiei stammered and Kari's heart thumped. Was Hiei embarrassed, too? Gently, she pushed herself to sit up and Hiei slid back to allow her but didn't move too far.

"So...you saw the whole...kiss-thing happen?" Hiei turned to her then with a cocked eyebrow and Kari groaned. "Oh great!" Kari threw her hands up in defeat. "Now, you're gonna mock me for losing control over a simple little kiss and burning Koenma's stupid face. Well, for your information, Koenma is the one who screwed up, not me!" Kari was rambling now but she couldn't stop. She jumped to her feet and started to pace out her frustration. Hiei could only watch as she vented out all the things she couldn't say to anyone else. "God, I _suck _at being human! I can't do the simplest, most commonplace things that everyone else gets to do! I mean I couldn't even hold the man's hand without giving him second degree burns and he just dives in with no warning. Plus, he didn't even ask my permission! I mean who does-"

Kari was silenced by running into Hiei's broad chest and he grasped her arms to steady her while she placed her palms on his chest out of instinct. She looked up and Kari realized that same intensity from before had worked its way back into his eyes. Kari could feel her heart rate pick up and heat flood to her hands. _He's so close. _

Hiei felt the shift in energy and the scorching heat on his chest. Hiei silently reveled in the feel of her so close. He waited a beat, two; he stared into her eyes searching for any indication that she felt what he did in this moment.

"Koenma didn't ask permission to kiss you?" Hiei asked and his gaze dipped to Kari's pink lips before back to her eyes.

"No. No, he didn't," she replied softly. Shame clouded her eyes and she looked away. "I didn't mean to burn him."

Hiei scoffed and snaked his arm around her back to pull Kari flush against him. Kari turned her startled green gaze back to him and her heart felt like it was gonna pound right out of her chest.

"Koenma is weak. He can barely handle the idiots in Spirit World. Of course he couldn't handle you." Kari felt another blush rise and flames burst from her hands.

"Oh!" Kari yanked back her hands and quelled the flames but Hiei did not lessen his grip. His shirt had two large holes burnt clean through to the skin. "Hiei, I'm sorry! It was an accident! I-" Kari paused when she saw that Hiei showed no signs of being burned. Not even a pink coloring where her flames had been directly against his skin.

"I am not weak like Koenma is." Hiei pulled her close again and put a bandaged finger beneath Kari's chin, forcing her to look at him. Her scent circled them and Hiei had to stifle a groan. His eyes dipped to her lips again. Koenma had gotten to taste those lips. Hiei's hand trailed down her neck and found its way into Kari's dark curls. _So soft,_ whispered across his mind. He twined a few strands through his fingers absently. He had waited long enough.

Kari's mind raced almost as fast as her heart did. The feel of Hiei against her, his strong arms around her. Her flames coursed through her and she didn't know if she should care or not. She was so entranced by those brilliant red eyes and the emotion hidden deep within them. She had been so busy pushing away her growing feelings for the demon that she had entirely missed the signs that he may like her, too.

Hiei started to lean into her. "You can't burn me," he murmured. Kari's pulse thrummed in her ears.

"Apparently," she replied. Her eyes half closed as Hiei came closer. He paused just centimeters from her. He wanted a taste, more than anything. He thought she wanted what he did but he had to be sure.

"Can _I_ kiss you?" He barely whispered. A pulse vibrated through him. Anticipation and longing.

"Yeah," Kari breathed. Hiei smirked and closed the distance between them. A delicious heat flooded over him, along with the sweet taste of Kari.

_Perfect!, _rang through Kari's mind as her fingers crept up to Hiei's neck and plunged into the thick of his hair. A wild, carnal heat so unlike her own flooded her senses. This new heat urged her to deepen the kiss and Kari felt Hiei respond with a fierce grip on her hip with one hand and the other tangle into her curls. This kiss was everything Koenma's hadn't been. Where Koenma had been desperate and cloying, Hiei was confidence embodied. He apologized to no one, took what he wanted and, right now, her wanted her. She wanted him, too; more than anything.

This was better than Hiei could have ever imagined, better than he had ever hoped for. Kari was strong but soft in just the right way. Her energy was swirling madly and it only fueled his need to have her. Where Koenma had been burned by her energy, Hiei thrived.

All too soon, their lip lock broke but Hiei still held Kari to him. The feel of her tiny, scalding body pressed against him was a pleasure he had no intention of giving up. Kari was flushed from his kiss and Hiei could feel pride swelling in him. No one had ever kissed her like that and, if Hiei could do anything about it, he would be the only one kissing her from now on.

_Mine_, he thought possessively. He saw nothing wrong with their friendship proceeding this way and he welcomed the prospect of all the new fun he would have at his fingertips.

Kari's mind swam in a sea of questions. What did this mean? Where did they stand now? They weren't dating, were they? Whatever it was, Kari decided she didn't care at the moment. She just wanted to be selfish and enjoy her time with Hiei as she always had. _Just with kissing now. Apparently. _

"Hiei," the demon pulled himself from his thoughts and looked to the girl in his arms. Kari didn't want to have a long conversation about this new step in their relationship so she just said, "I believe we were in the middle of a game."

With a cocky grin, Hiei relinquished his hold on Kari and stepped back.

"You're it." Kari returned his grin and dove at the demon. Hiei dodged her easily and took off. The game was back on and they ran back into the trees, all the anger and jealousy of the morning forgotten. The problems of the world could wait.

The two were so caught up in each other that neither had noticed the perfect circle burned into the grass where they had been standing. Nor did they notice Ayame, the oar maiden, flying back to the Spirit World with news for King Yama.

* * *

_Author's Note: And here is the promised chapter! :D I know it is a bit short, but THEY FINALLY KISSED! Next chapter is being written and should be up in a few days. I might write a little faster if I had more reviews...maybe? ;)_


	16. Chapter 16

Ayame was waiting patiently for her audience with King Yama. Well, as patiently as she could considering the news she was about to deliver. She didn't pace anxiously or fidget in place but it was apparent on her face that she was not excited about the duty she had to perform.

"Thank you, Dad. This is perfect!"

Koenma, in toddler form, came skipping from the hall with a large smile on his baby face. George the Ogre was crawling along behind him.

"Lord Koenma," Ayame greeted stiffly with a bow.

"Yo, Ayame," Koenma chirped. "Isn't it a lovely day?" Ayame stiffened, confused by Koenma's demeanor. Didn't he know that the human girl, this Kari, had chosen another?

"I suppose so, sir," she murmured at his back as Koenma continued on his way. She cast George a questioning look but the ogre merely bowed his head and plunked along after his boss.

"Enter," King Yama's voice echoed from the hall and Ayame took a deep breath. As demurely as possible, she walked into the hall and let the doors slam behind her. She took a deep bow and did not move until King Yama spoke again.

"Your report?" Ayame stood tall but kept her eyes down.

"It appears Lord Koenma has some competition." Ayame began. "The girl appears to want another."

"Who?" King Yama growled from the darkness.

"The demon, Hiei. I saw them together." King Yama was silent, processing this information. Ayame did not dare to look up but rather focused on a single tile on the floor.

"Perhaps allowing my son to fawn over this human was a mistake," the Spirit King finally said. "It is time we develop a new plan."

* * *

It was official: winter was here. Although the first snow had yet to fall on the mountainside, Keiko still shivered from the frigid wind that somehow continued to seep through all her layers. Clutching a steaming mug of tea, she cuddled into the blanket Yukina had been kind enough to give her.

"Really, Keiko. We can sit inside if you are too cold," Yukina offered. Keiko smiled back at the ice apparition and shook her head 'no'.

"I'm fine, I promise." Keiko still looked out to the trees, her features soft. "I guess I am a little jealous though. The cold doesn't seem to bother you or Kari at all."

"Oh, well, I guess being an ice apparition does have it's benefits," Yukina half giggled.

"Yeah and Kari's fire powers must keep her heated." Keiko added with her own small laugh. "I guess I shouldn't worry about her being too cold out there while she trains with Hiei."

* * *

Well, Keiko was half right; Kari's fire did keep her base body temperature well above the human standard. Although, now, she had a secondary way of staying warm.

Kari's back collided harshly against the bark of a large oak, but she didn't feel any pain. No, she was much more interested in the feel of the demon who was currently pushing himself against her and kissing her roughly. Kari was responding in kind with one of her hands on the back of Hiei's neck and the other gripping the collar of his shirt.

It had only been five short days since Kari's disastrous date with Koenma, but she and Hiei had fallen into a new routine nonetheless. Wake up, train all day, and, just before they head back to the temple, make out.

Hiei growled low in his chest and his tongue darted across Kari's lips. Kari parted her lips for him and Hiei deepened the kiss, tasting her. Kari had a certain flavor that was all her own; not sweet or sugary but more of a heady spice, exotic. But the best part was her heat, her fire, as it surged over him. Hiei's hands slipped beneath Kari's shirt and skimmed across her hips. Gods, this felt so good; he needed more.

Hiei broke the kiss and immediately turned his attention to Kari's neck; nuzzling her and planting hot kisses all over her skin. Kari groaned lightly and tilted her head to one side to give the demon more access. She felt Hiei purr against her and his hands start to climb up her sides, rough against her soft skin.

"Hiei," Kari panted and the demon stilled. He could feel her shift in energy, from heated to unsure, and he knew he needed to stop...for now. With a half smirk, Hiei let his hands slide back to Kari's hips and he burrowed himself into her hair, taking in her scent before turning his face back up to her. Her green eyes were open and clouded with several emotions: shame, anger, uncertainty.

"Come on," Hiei murmured and kissed her again, much softer. "We'll go back now." He stepped back and released his grasp on her. Kari sighed softly and pushed off the tree before falling instep with Hiei. They didn't make it very far before Kari broke the silence.

"I'm sorry, Hiei," she muttered and glared at the ground. Hiei cast her a sideways glance, confused as to why she was apologizing. "I mean about stopping you," Kari clarified, her cheeks coloring just a bit. Hiei stopped and turned so he was facing her.

"Do not ever feel the need to apologize for that," he growled and Kari blinked up at him.

"I just...I feel bad though cause I want you to keep going but then I kinda freak out 'cause it's all so new and I'm-," Kari faltered in her babbling and blushed crimson. "I just have zero experience with this kinda thing!" she blurted out. Hiei smirked at how flustered she could get over this.

"I'm aware of your inexperience," Hiei replied and Kari looked crestfallen.

"What? Am I bad at it?" she mumbled. Hiei half laughed and turned away, ready to continue back to the temple.

"No, you aren't bad," he assured her. "I can just smell it on you."

"Smell it on me? What the hell does that mean?" Kari asked as she jogged to catch up with him, completely confused.

"It means that I can tell you are a virgin by your scent," Hiei explained and smirked when he saw Kari's face darken even further from embarrassment. She floundered, trying to find what to say in reply to that.

"Well, now I'm self conscious!" Kari finally retorted and ran her hands through her hair, tugging on it slightly. Hiei chuckled at her outburst and Kari threw him a playful glare. "Alright, so you're not mad at me or anything?"

"Hn. No," Hiei scoffed. "I promise I won't do anything you aren't ready for." Kari smiled and nudged his shoulder with hers.

"Aw, you big sweetheart," she cooed at him and earned a bemused glare. "Well, I do have another concern." Hiei cocked an eyebrow at her and Kari continued. "You think we should be open with the others about...this?" Kari gestured between him and herself. Hiei's mind instantly went to Kurama and his objections.

"I don't see how it's any of their business what we do," the demon replied. Kari heaved out a grateful sigh.

"Oh, thank God." Hiei blinked, confused at her relief, and Kari quickly explained. "I just don't want to answer a million freakin' questions or anything. And I completely agree that this is strictly our business. It's fun, it feels great, and I don't see any point in getting everyone all riled up." Kari glanced over at him and fixed him with a teasing look. "Besides, I'm not really up for sharing."

Hiei smirked and stopped, yanking Kari into his arms again.

"Good. Me neither," he growled and kissed her again, rough and possessive. Kari smiled against his lips and kissed him back just as fervently.

Oh, this just felt so damned good.

* * *

A few days later, all was quiet at the temple. Genkai was off visiting a friend and Keiko had drug Yusuke to the nearby village to shop the marketplace there. Yukina and Kuwabara had tagged along with Yusuke and Keiko and Kurama had not yet appeared at the temple. It was the perfect day for Koenma to take Kari out on their second date. The Spirit Prince had quite a pep to his step as he climbed the never ending staircase. However, the climb didn't seem too rough today with thoughts of spending more time with the beautiful Kari flickering through his mind. Gently, he touched the gift he had in his pocket for the girl.

_ She is going to be so excited,_ Koenma thought gleefully. Finally, he reached the top of the stairs and entered the compound. It was just his luck that Kari and Hiei were returning from the forest, having spent almost the whole morning as they usually did: training. The two looked to be deep in conversation and neither even acknowledged Koenma until he called Kari's name and jogged to meet them at the door to the temple.

"Oh! Um...Hi, Koenma. What a nice surprise," Kari said with a small, forced smile. Hiei did not greet the prince and Kari saw his previously teasing eyes harden.

"Kari, you look absolutely lovely today," Koenma said as he picked up Kari's ungloved hand. Hiei growled lightly and Kari pulled her hand from the prince.

"Uh huh. Thanks. Um...you looking for Yusuke? I think he might still be in the village with the others," Kari ventured, attempting to be more courteous than the demon behind her.

"Actually, I am here to see you," Koenma cast a glance at Hiei and shivered at his glower. "I was hoping we could talk for a bit and then maybe venture to the village together? Just the two of us?" Koenma gave her a pointed but sincere look.

"Uh…" Kari cast a glance back at Hiei, who she could tell was starting to boil. "Well, Hiei and I actually...well, we were gonna go to the...um...ya know, let's go talk for just a bit." Kari said with a forced laugh, trying to lighten the blow she was soon to deliver. She had to tell the Spirit Prince that she wasn't interested in dating him. _Certainly can't tell him about Hiei though,_ Kari thought.

"Excellent! Shall we?" Koenma said with a smile and gestured to the door.

"Yeah, go ahead. I'll be in in a bit." Koenma smiled and disappeared into the temple. Kari turned to Hiei and she could tell from his glare that the demon was not happy.

"He wants to take you on another date?" Hiei asked, growling with rage.

"It sure looks that way," Kari replied. Hiei continued to glare and Kari huffed. "You know I am _not_ going to go with him, Hiei. But I obviously need to go spell it out for him that I am not interested." Kari sighed. "Ugh. I hate hurting his feelings but I guess it would be worse stringing him along, right?"

"He's a fool." Hiei scoffed and folded his arms across his chest. Kari laughed lightly and turned to face the demon.

"I'm gonna let him down easy. He'll leave after that and we can get on with the day, ok?" Kari smiled and placed her hand on his crossed arms. Hiei merely cocked his eyebrow at her. "It's a five minute conversation. Just wait here." Kari said and turned to the door. Hiei grabbed her arm before she could take a step and spun her back towards him. Kari could tell that Hiei was still not happy with their unexpected guest. She just smiled and surprised him with a peck on the lips. "Five minutes." She promised and held her hand up to show a five. And with that she vanished into the house.

Hiei stood there for a moment, watching the door Kari had just entered. He allowed himself a small smile before he started to make his way back to the tree line. The Spirit Prince would soon be gone and he would have Kari all to himself once again. She was _his._

* * *

Kari stood outside the door to the living room. Taking a deep breath, Kari forced a light hearted smile onto her face and entered.

"Sorry, I had to plan where to-"

"Kari," Koenma appeared before the human girl, smiling excitedly. "I have a gift for you. Give me your hand and close your eyes."

"Um, Koenma. I kinda want to talk to you about something impor-"

"Oh, that can wait!" Koenma interrupted with a wave of his hand. "Now, close 'em." Kari grimaced but followed his instructions: closing her eyes and opening her left hand, palm up.

_He tries to kiss me again, I'm gonna kick his ass. _Kari thought viciously. Instead of lips, she felt Koenma place a smooth round object into her palm.

"Alright, take a look." Kari squinted open one eye and peeked at the object in her hand. Koenma watched with glee as Kari took in the black and white bracelet he had given her. It was a strange piece of jewelry. The outside was a smooth, white ceramic but the inside was a shining, black material Kari couldn't name. It looked almost...sinister?

"Uh...thanks?" Kari replied as she stared at the item in her palm. Jewelry wasn't really her thing since it tended to get in the way when she went free-running. "Listen, Koenma-"

"The bracelet is more than just pretty to look at. Put it on," the prince urged as he picked up the bracelet and held Kari's forearm to slide it over her tiny hand.

"Really, Koenma. I have to-" Kari gasped in pain as the bracelet slid over her wrist. _The hell?!_ Kari looked down at her arm and was shocked to see the bracelet shrink so that it hugged her wrist. Pain rocketed up her arm and into her mind. Kari stumbled backwards as her vision blurred and her breath rushed out of her. Koenma caught her as she sank to her knees and Kari noticed the odd smile he had.

"What...what is this…" Kari shivered and realized she felt cold. Her eyes widened in horror as she felt the heat, her fire, leaving her. She tried to produce her flames in her palm but only got a tiny spark before the feeling of warmth left her completely. Koenma took her hand and held it to his chest. Kari looked into his face and saw he was happy about her sudden loss of power.

"See? We can touch now." Koenma said softly and kissed the back of her hand. Kari yanked her hand away and started to shake her head, her eyes darting from the now confused Prince to the jewelry that had turned her into a normal human. Panic overtook her senses and Kari reacted the only way she could have: she screamed.

* * *

Hiei was growing impatient. This conversation with Koenma was taking far too long. Hiei was ready for he and Kari to continue their day...alone. It wasn't everyday he got the girl completely to himself. Half the time Keiko would garner her attention and the other half they were surrounded by their friends and Hiei couldn't make a move.

Hiei was just starting to think of all the fun the two would have once Koenma was gone when he felt Kari's spirit energy completely vanish. He turned back towards the temple with a jolt and then he heard Kari scream.

Hiei sprang into action and sped towards the temple doors. He didn't sense anyone else besides Koenma. What the hell was going on?!

Hiei threw open the living room doors and was met with a panicked Kari, kneeling on the floor, near tears and tearing at her wrist, with Koenma trying to console her. Kari tore her eyes to the door and Hiei could see the terror in her eyes.

"Hiei! Hiei, help! I can't get it off!" Kari cried. Hiei flashed to her side, shoving Koenma away and taking Kari's now bloody arm in his hands. The bracelet had constricted so tightly that Kari had been unable to slide it back off. So, she had started tearing at her own skin to remove it. Hiei tried to pry his fingers under it but the stupid thing would not budge.

"The fuck is this thing?!" Hiei ground out as he grasped the bracelet and tugged, hard. Kari whimpered in pain and she felt the tears finally spill over. Hiei looked into her startled face and saw all the fear she was feeling etched across her features. She locked her tearful eyes on his and the silent plea for help, wrapped in all the horror of this moment, gripped at his heart.

"It's ok!" Koenma tried as he pushed himself up. Hiei and Kari ignored him as they continued to try to remove the infernal bracelet. Finally, Hiei drew his sword and pushed Kari's arm flat on the table beside them. Koenma stared in frozen shock. Was Hiei going to cut Kari's hand off?!

"Hold still," Hiei ordered as he flipped the sword around and jammed the hilt down on the bracelet. With one swift blow, the item shattered into a million pieces and Koenma let out a horrified gasp. Kari yanked her arm back to her chest and Hiei dropped his sword to attend to her.

"Are you ok? Hey, look at me," Hiei could feel her spirit energy returning but he still turned her face up to him and swiped some of her hair from her eyes. Relief flooded her green eyes and Kari nodded, placing her bloody hands over Hiei's.

"I'm ok, I'm….I'm good." Kari answered as she looked gratefully into Hiei's concerned face. The pain was subsiding and she could already feel the heat returning to her body. Hiei felt the fear that had gripped him from the moment he heard Kari scream leave his chest. He let out a breath he didn't even realize he was holding and used his thumb to swipe away a stray tear on Kari's face.

_She's safe,_ the voice whispered to him and Hiei silently agreed.

The two were so caught up in each other they had seemed to completely forget that Koenma was still there. Koenma watched their exchange, baffled. He had never seen Hiei so...caring. And the way Kari was looking at him... Koenma turned his eyes away and looked down at the now destroyed bracelet.

"This was extremely rare."

Hiei jerked his now furious gaze back to the Spirit Prince, who was gently sweeping up the shattered remains of his gift . Hiei pushed himself between Kari and Koenma and was ready to throttle the prince. Kari turned her own now hardening gaze on the prince.

"Koenma," he looked up and saw the anger radiating from them both. "Get. The hell. Out." Kari ground out as she pulled her still bleeding forearm to herself.

"Kari," Koenma was startled not only at Kari's anger but Hiei's obvious protective stance. The demon had one arm stretched out across the human girl and the other balled into a fist at his side, ready to strike."Kari, I-"

"I don't want to hear anything from you," Kari snarled and summoned a ball of fire to her hand, letting it swirl and writhe angrily across her palm.

Koenma shrank back, afraid of the energy she was giving off. This wasn't the Kari he thought he knew; this Kari was powerful, fierce, and utterly terrifying.

"B-but, I-"

"Leave," Hiei growled. "Now." Koenma didn't argue; he couldn't. He merely swept up the remainder of the bracelet and moved to leave. Koenma took one last look back before he left. Hiei had already turned his attention back to Kari and was watching as she pressed the flames to her bloody wrist, not flinching at all from the scorching heat.

Defeated, Koenma made a hasty exit. He didn't know exactly what was going on between Hiei and Kari but he did know that he had lost.

* * *

Kurama was climbing Genkai's stairs alone when he spotted Koenma. The red blanched at how utterly agitated the spirit prince looked.

"Koenma? Is everything alright?" Kurama asked and eyed the prince warily. Koenma brushed past Kurama with no comment and simply continued on down the stairs. His entire posture screamed that he was devastated over something.

_What the hell happened?,_ Kurama pondered. He reached out his sense and could feel that Hiei and Kari were at the temple but no one else. _I guess Kari told him she didn't want to date him?_

Kurama masked his energy and hurried along to the temple. He had a sneaking suspicion that something else had to be going on.

* * *

"Ow! Geez, that stings!"

Kurama followed the voices, and the energy he felt, to find Kari and Hiei in the kitchen. He peeked through the door, making sure to stay as quiet and inconspicuous as possible. Kurama knew that even though Hiei had his back to him, the slightest wrong move would alert the demon to his presence.

"Just hold still," Hiei ordered as he swiped a cloth over Kari's still injured wrist. The minor wounds from her nails had healed easily but the larger one, caused by the bracelet, was still oozing blood. Kari squirmed at his side and winced.

"I have a whole new respect for people who can't heal themselves," Kari groused. Hiei grunted and threw the bloody cloth on the counter before reaching into the box of first aid supplies before him. Kari was quiet as Hiei pulled a roll of bandages out and slowly started to wind them around her wrist.

"I guess you've had a good bit of practice at this?" Kari tried, gesturing with her free hand towards his right arm. Hiei wasn't in the mood to

chat about nonsense, though.

"Hn."

Kari softened a little and placed her free hand over Hiei's, stopping the demon from continuing wrapping her wound.

"Hiei…" The demon looked into her face, his eyes simmering with a rage held deep within. Kari waited a beat before she continued. "I think I shoulda punched Koenma in his pretty boy face."

Hiei smirked at her, his rage overcome by his humor, and went back to bandaging.

"One of us should have," he agreed and Kari smiled at him. Hiei tucked the end of the bandage away so that it wouldn't come undone before tossing the last of the roll back into the first aid box. Kari examined his work and then pushed herself up to sit on the counter.

"I still wonder what the hell that thing was," Kari admitted. "I mean, that was...horrifying. Any ideas?" Hiei grabbed up the soiled cloth and first aid box to put them away.

"No, I've never seen anything like that before," the demon conceded as he stashed the box under the sink and stood. "Koenma obviously knew what it was going to do to you."

"Oh, yeah; he knew," Kari growled and glared at her wrapped wrist. "Dick. Why the hell would he think that was ok?"

"Because he is a vicious idiot," Hiei snarled, glaring out the window over the sink. His shoulders were tense as he gripped the counter in both hands. Kari blinked at his sudden anger and got off the counter.

"Hey, look at me," she said softly and reached one hand up to Hiei's shoulder. He turned those smoldering eyes on her. "I'm ok now. Koenma's gone and this," Kari waved her bandaged wrist, "this is nothing." Kari stepped closer and Hiei turned towards her, removing one hand from the sink to wrap around her waist. Kari placed both her hands on his chest and smirked up at him.

"Ya know, I think you kinda liked playing the hero." Hiei grinned and moved his other hand to wrap a few strands of hair around his fingers.

"Oh, and why is that?"

"Well," Kari leaned just a bit closer, still smirking. "Afterwards, the hero gets to kiss the damsel in distress."

"Is that so?" Kari nodded and Hiei moved his hand from her hair to her chin, making her continue to look at him. "Well then, I want my prize." Hiei leaned in and kissed her hungrily. Kari leaned into him and Hiei tightened his grip on her waist. It was perfect.

Kurama leaned back from the door and hastily made his way out of the temple. He had seen enough.

_It's none of our business, Kurama._ Genkai's voice croaked to him. Kurama couldn't agree with that.

* * *

_Author's note: Ta da! Another chapter! :D I'm going to warn you all now: with my wedding only about a week away, I will probably not be uploading again for the next few weeks. I do have most of the next two to three chapters done but they still need to be tweaked. Please leave a review and I will update again ASAP! _


	17. Chapter 17

"I'm really not sure what's wrong with him, Kurama. I mean, I've seen Prince Koenma upset before but never like this. He didn't even punish anyone for interrupting him earlier and I haven't heard him complain about his paperwork today, which is definitely not normal."

Kurama allowed George to continue prattling on but kept his stoic demeanor. The redhead had never thought he would need to return to Spirit World before his time but these new developments needed to be handled delicately.

Kurama pushed open the door to Koenma's office with a thud! The spirit prince didn't even lift his toddler head from the desk.

"What's up, Kurama?" Koenma muttered into the table top. Kurama came to stand before the desk, looking down at the top of Koenma's hat. The remnants of the bracelet were laid out across the desk, gleaming darkly from the lights overhead.

"Koenma, I need to know what happened with Kari," Kurama demanded sternly. Koenma merely whimpered in reply. "This is extremely important, Koenma."

"She doesn't want to be my girlfriend!" Koenma suddenly cried and turned his blubbering face up to Kurama. Big, fat tears trailed down his baby like face and the prince just whimpered. "I...I just...I thought her powers were troubling her. So, my father gave me this to suppress them but-"

"Did you really think Kari would want to have her powers suppressed?" Kurama interjected, gentler than before. Koenma hiccuped and looked down.

"I guess not," Koenma admitted. A vision of Kari, wielding her fire and glaring darkly at him, flashed through his mind. "I really screwed up, Kurama."

"I would say so," the fox agreed.. Koenma heaved a sigh and started to fiddle with a piece of the bracelet.

"Koenma," the prince glanced up at Kurama, eyes still full of sadness. "you said King Yama gave you that?" Kurama gestured down to the shattered mess.

"Um...yeah. It's an old treasure from the vaults."

"What is it made of?" Kurama inquired as he picked up a piece and examined it closely. "I've never seen anything like this before."

"I'm...I'm really not sure," Koenma realized. "I didn't think to ask." Kurama felt that his new suspicions were starting to come to light.

"What about the information about the Kingdom of Arai? Where did you happen to find it?" Koenma blinked, thinking back to how that particular tidbit had come into his lap.

"One of my ogres brought me the lineage sheet after Kari's grandmother was processed. But...my father is the one who told me about Arai."

_Just as I thought_, Kurama thought darkly. He set the fragment back on the desk and glowered at Koenma, drawing on all his power to make himself more intimidating.

"Koenma, I need to know what happened to that kingdom. Show me whatever you have in the archives." Koenma shrank back and nodded dumbly.

Between Kari and Kurama, Koenma had seen just about enough of the more ferocious sides of his friends.

* * *

Hiei couldn't remember the last time he had felt...content. Usually he was filled with a bitter anger, a burning rage, that he could only express through fighting. However, now, he felt almost lighter; like his world had settled into a kind of harmony that he couldn't define.

_It's because you have what you want, _the voice whispered to him. Hiei smirked and silently agreed. Kari was his.

Hiei was sitting on the walkway, watching Kari and Keiko train. He had to admit, Keiko had surpassed his expectations; she was summoning and maintain her shields almost instantaneously now. Genkai had been so confidant in Keiko's abilities that she had ordered Kari to start throwing small, flamed attacks at the girl. Which was precisely what they were doing.

"Give it a little more juice, Kari!" Genkai barked and the girl blanched. "Keiko can block it and if she doesn't, it will be a good lesson."

"Master Genkai, I don't know about you, but getting burned freakin' hurts!" Kari screeched back. Sighing, she pitched another small ball of fire at Keiko and the pink shield popped back into existence, deflecting the flame. Keiko smiled and then looked past Kari.

"I think Kurama's back," she said, squinting her eyes and focusing. There wasn't anyone in the yard but them. "That's his energy, right?"

"Yeah, it is. Good job, Keiko!" Kari congratulated and smiled. "Head's up!" She chucked another fire ball, this one just a touch stronger, and they were back to training.

Hiei cast one more glance at Kari, feeling that warmth spread through him as he watched her, before he flitted away. He needed to see where Kurama had been for the last few days.

* * *

"Hn. I was starting to wonder if you were ever coming back," Hiei said snidely from the branch above Kurama's head. The demon jumped down and stood before his friend, who was leaning back against the tree with his arms crossed and eyes closed.

"Of course I was coming back. I'm human and this is my world," Kurama bit back, somehow lacing all his anger into a cool tone. Hiei squinted his eyes at the redhead and crossed his own arms.

"Where have you been?"

"Spirit world."

"Why?" Kurama sighed and finally looked to Hiei.

"We have a problem." Hiei scoffed and looked away, glaring into the trees.

"What? Is Koenma crying because Kari doesn't want him?" Hiei's tone was cruel but confident.

"Partially but our problem is much, much worse," Kurama replied earnestly. "What do you know about Arai?"

"Only what Koenma told us," Hiei conceded. "I couldn't find any answers in demon world."

"Well, Koenma and I found something else in the archives." Hiei gave Kurama his full attention and the fox plowed on. "All the records of Arai have been lost so we could not find anything on the kingdom itself; however, there was a rather interesting record of an SDF mission that took place around the same time."' Kurama produced a sheet of paper from his pocket and offered it to the demon. Hiei took it and glanced over the page.

"A lot of it has been blacked out," Hiei growled. Kurama nodded but pointed to the top of the page.

"Yes, but this is what I wanted to show you."

"Commission Delta Alpha...Dragonborn Eradication?" Hiei glanced up at Kurama, eyes wide. "What the hell is 'dragonborn'?"

"I'm not exactly sure but Koenma had a pretty good guess," Kurama said. "He thinks the Dragonborn were Arai's royal family. This," Kurama tapped the page, "this is the kill order carried out by Spirit World." Hiei growled and shoved the page away.

"This doesn't explain our problem. Who cares about some old kingdom?"

"Our problem is that King Yama must think that Kari is a descendant of these Dragonborn," Kurama clarified. "Why else would he allow Koenma to try to pursue a relationship with her? And apparently, he is the one who gave Koenma the bracelet. Hiei," Kurama steeled himself and pushed on. "Kari needs to leave."

"She's not going anywhere," Hiei snarled.

"If Spirit World wants her, they can take her," Kurama retorted, trying to make the demon understand. "She needs to return to the city and stop using her powers so as to drop off their radar. I'm worried that if she gets any stronger King Yama will send his own troops for her."

"Kari is safe here," Hiei barked, bowing up at Kurama.

"You cannot put as at war with the Spirit World over some girl, Hiei!" Kurama shouted, earning a defiant growl from Hiei. "This infatuation has gone far enough."

"I don't know what you-"

"I saw you together," Kurama snapped. Hiei stilled, shocked, and Kurama kept on. "Kari is human and you are a demon. Whatever bizarre relationship you two have developed has to end. You are putting us all in danger." Hiei glowered at Kurama, angry energy seething from him. Finally, he smirked and turned away.

"I can do whatever I want," Hiei replied boldly. "If I want her, I can have her." Kurama grimaced. He was going to have to play hard ball.

"Oh, and how much have you told her?" Hiei glanced at Kurama questioningly. "Have you told her about your life as a thief? About all the people you've destroyed? What about that time you kidnapped Keiko and tried to turn her into a demon? Does Kari know about any of that?"

Each question had felt like a cold, hard slap in the face to Hiei. Kurama was right; he had told Kari next to nothing about who he really was, all the horrible things he had done. In all the time he and Kari had spent together, he had barely touched on any of his past. Granted, Kari had never pushed him, sensing that he was uncomfortable, but Hiei was having a crippling realization: if he couldn't be honest with Kari about his life, then he couldn't keep her.

Kurama saw the flash of weakness in his friend and decided now was the time to put the final nail in the coffin. Regardless of how much it hurt to destroy this one piece of happiness for Hiei.

"Hiei, she won't understand. It's not her world." Kurama waited for Hiei to make some kind of reply. He could see the emotions roiling behind those red eyes and finally Hiei turned that cold stare on him.

"I'll speak with her later. Do not say anything." And Hiei blinked out of sight. Kurama heaved a sigh and buried his face in one palm.

_It had to be done. I have to protect them._

Somehow, that still didn't make him feel any better.

* * *

Hiei couldn't go back to where Kari was still training with Keiko. He had to get away, he had to think. He tore through the forest, running so hard and so fast he was almost sure he could just outrun his problem. Of course, there was no such luck. Hiei came to a cliff over looking the sea, the sun starting to set off in the distance. Lacking any preamble, he fell to his knees and clutched his head.

Gods, he felt stupid. More stupid than Kuwabara. He was a fool, a moron, a complete and utter idiot. How could he ever think that he could just take Kari for himself, that he could have her?

_She doesn't know. She doesn't know how vile I am,_ Hiei thought bitterly. How had he never thought of this? He had been so enamored with the girl that the reality of the situation had never truly sank in.

_You could tell her._ Damn that little voice. Hiei shook his head, trying to dislodge whatever that voice was. _She wouldn't care_, it insisted.

_No! I can't! She can't know, _ Hiei fought back, squinting his eyes closed in denial. Kari's green eyes, her smile, her scent all flashed through his mind.

_She wants to be with you and you want her,_ the voice continued. _You need her. You lo-_

"NO!" Hiei roared, stopping the voice from completing the thought. He slammed a fist into the ground, making the rocks and dirt give way with his power.

_I am the imiko, the cursed child. I am not capable of...of..._Hiei faltered, choking back this sudden feeling of despair. He couldn't do this, he couldn't handle this. The voice did not return and Hiei was left with his own dark thoughts.

It was long after the sun had set and the stars had twinkled into existence above him that Hiei stood and began to make his way back to Genkai's. He had to end it. He would have to push Kari away to keep her safe.

* * *

Raisho was beginning to get impatient. It had been months since he had joined forces with Minoru, working out a deal with the apparition for their mutual gains, but nothing had happened.

"Be patient, he says. The little human wench needs more time, he says," Raisho muttered darkly as he stalked down the corridor to Minoru's study. The lion was through waiting.

"Master Minoru, I wish an audience," Raisho growled as he pushed open the door. He was a little stunned to see that not only was Minoru in his usual spot, lounging in an overstuffed chair and looking very much relaxed, but Kichiro the dog demon and Rukia the plant demoness were also in attendance.

"Oh, the lion enters," Rukia purred and turned her cold, brown eyes on Raisho. The lion sneered and took a knee, bowing to Minoru.

"Master, I implore you. Let me send my men to fetch that human for you. Surely it is time to carry out our plan."

"How dare you!" Kichiro barked, his little puppy ears laying back. "The Great Minoru is our leader and you have no-"

"There, there," Minoru interjected soothingly and patted the dog demon on the head. "Raisho is merely hungry for battle. It is understandable." the pale demon turned those gray eyes on Raisho, languid and tranquil with just a twinge of excitement in those depths.

"Kichiro was just giving me his report. It appears that Kari has improved greatly over the months," Minoru explained and swept a rebellious lock of white hair from his face. "I believe it is time to call on some of your demons, Raisho. My little doll needs to be pushed just a bit further."

The lion smirked and bowed his head low.

"My strongest men will leave at dawn."

* * *

_Author's note: Ok, I am officially obsessed with finishing this. Of course, I am still a good ways off from the ending but I have written four chapters in the past 48 hours. You guys know the drill. 5 new reviews, current count is 93, and you get the next chapter. :)  
_


	18. Chapter 18

Kari just did not understand. One day Hiei couldn't keep his hands off of her and the next…

She squinted at the demon's back, confused. Two days of this crazy, dismissive, borderline abusive behavior was way out of the normal range for Hiei. When they sparred, Hiei was much rougher than normal; he shouted at her, insulting her and belittling her abilities. Was he just trying to get a rise out of her, to make her fight harder?

"We're done. Go back to the temple." Kari jumped at the abrupt growl from Hiei. He wasn't looking at her, just glaring off into the trees. She couldn't take any more of this attitude from him.

"What is your problem, Hiei?" she barked out, pushing herself off the ground and blinking in front of him. "Are you manstrating or something?" Hiei turned furious eyes on her but Kari wasn't backing down.

"Go back," he ordered again and moved to walk off into the trees. Kari disobeyed and followed right after him.

"Not until you tell me what the hell is wrong. You've been pissy for days," Kari argued. "What did I do?" The demon didn't reply which only fueled Kari's irritation. "Hiei!"

"You," Hiei rounded on her and glared, "are bothering me."

"I'm bothering you?" Kari challenged, bowing up at him. "Well, your bitchy attitude is bothering me!"

"Then leave!" Hiei shouted back.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong!" Hiei scoffed and looked away from her again. "No, stop that." Kari side stepped in front of him and prodded him in the chest with a finger. "You are not shutting me out and I'm not leaving."

Hiei snarled and looked prepared to lash out at her again but he suddenly stiffened. Kari blinked at his change in demeanor but then she felt it to: demons. A lot of demons; and, damn, they were strong.

"Are we expecting company?" Kari murmured as she scanned the trees warily.

"No," Hiei replied and took hold of her wrist, dragging her into the cover of the trees. Kari was starting to feel panicked. The energy this group of demons was giving off was too much, too powerful. Hiei tugged her behind a tree, pulling her close and waiting.

"Please tell me you have a plan," she muttered as she tracked the energies.

"Go back to the temple and get Yusuke and Kurama. I'm going to lead them away from here."

"Hiei, I can't just leave you here with all those demons," Kari argued and glared up at him. Hiei scoffed and put one hand on the hilt of his sword.

"I will be fine," he retorted. "Your job is to protect the temple. Mask your energy and get going." Hiei moved to leave but Kari grabbed hold of his arm.

"Hiei," she begged and the demon finally looked at her. Green eyes filled with concern; she was worried about him getting hurt or worse. Hiei felt that warmth in his chest and he couldn't help himself. He knew he would be leaving for good soon so why not have one last moment to hold on to.

Hiei released his grip on his sword and instead wrapped his arms around Kari and yanked her close. His lips crushed against hers, hungry and heated; one hand curled into her long, soft hair while the other pushed against the small of her back.

Kari stiffened. She was definitely not expecting this sudden display after how the demon hand been acting. Before she could really react, Hiei broke away and shoved her back lightly.

"Go," he commanded, red eyes shining and drawing his sword. Kari nodded and took off into the trees, taking great care to mask her energy as much as possible.

_Hiei,_ she thought but didn't dare to turn back. She needed to get back and get Yusuke or else…

As soon as Hiei was sure Kari was far enough away, he sheathed his sword and instead began to unwind the bandages on his right arm.

There was only one way to take out all these demons.

* * *

"Keiko, you have to go inside!" Yusuke barked as he tried to shove his girlfriend into the temple; but Keiko wasn't having it. The girl was transfixed by the massive amount of energy she was sensing and refused to budge.

"Yusuke, I want to help!" she argued, trying to sound strong.

"Then get inside and put up a shield," Yusuke bit back.

Kurama was tense, watching the treeline for any sign of movement. He barely heard what Yusuke and Keiko were arguing about.

_Why? Why come here now?_ he tried to reason. It didn't make sense.

"Yusuke!" Kurama jumped and jerked his attention back to the temple doors. Kari had appeared and jumped in front of Yusuke, panicked.

"Damn it, Kari! I'm still not used to you being all fast!" Yusuke shrieked but Kari just growled at him.

"Shut up! Hiei is out there by himself with all those demons!"

"What?" Kurama gasped, making Kari turn to him.

"Yeah, he told me to come get you guys and that he was gonna lead them away to keep us safe. Don't just stand here! Get going!" Kurama faltered just a bit. He could see it in her face: Kari was sincerely worried about Hiei.

"Alright, let's get-" Yusuke halted in his steps as they all felt a crazy strong energy suddenly appear. The sky darkened and Keiko started to shiver.

"What...what is that?" she whimpered, all her strength from before gone with such a dark aura present. An inhuman roar sounded in the forest and they all tensed.

"It's the dragon," Kurama murmured, turning his eyes towards the sky. "Hiei must have felt it necessary with so many enemies."

"Huh. Well, I guess we shouldn't worry so much," Yusuke added with a scratch to the back of his head. "Uh? Kari?" Yusuke asked as the girl jumped from the walkway and onto the grass.

"Kari? What's wrong?" Kurama asked. The girl didn't respond but continued to walk slowly past him and toward the trees. "Kari, you need to stay-uh!" Kurama yanked his outstretched hand back as Kari's energy singed him. "Kari!"

"It's calling me." Kurama stiffened at Kari's words; there wasn't anything he could do though. Kari blinked out of sight before Kurama could grab her.

* * *

Hiei tore through the forest, sprinting as fast as he could and keeping his eyes on the sky. The black dragon had consumed his opponents as he expected, but then something new happened. Instead of vanishing with the end of his attack, the dragon had flown high into the sky and changed course.

_I don't understand. It should have disappeared once my attack was completed,_ Hiei thought furiously as he tried to catch sight of the beast. _If that dragon gets to the temple…_

Hiei stiffened as another energy flicked through him, followed by that tingle down his spine.

Hiei burst through the trees and into the clearing where he sensed the girl. He had planned to grab Kari up and whisk her as far away from here as possible but when he caught sight of her, he couldn't move.

"Kari? What are you doing?" Hiei called but the girl didn't appear to hear him. She was looking upwards, waiting, and surrounded by a wide ring of bright red flames. Hiei tried to step forward but the fire surged and he had to leap back to keep from being burned. The dragon shrieked above them and Hiei tensed.

"Kari! Run! Get out of here!" Hiei roared as the dragon came into sight, barreling towards the ground like a black meteor. Kari never flinched as the dragon crashed to the ground around her.

Hiei was thrown back by the impact and collided painfully with a tree. Wincing, Hiei drug himself up and looked frantically through the dust for the human girl. He could still sense her energy, so she couldn't have been killed.

Kari was perfectly fine. Although, her ring of fire had been stamped out by the black dragon's massive body. The beast had circled around her, still blazing with black fire and leveling its giant head on par with hers; looking into her eyes with its own glowing, golden ones.

Hiei was speechless. He didn't know what to think. The dragon was just standing there, looking at Kari with no ferocity or aggression. What the hell was happening?

Kari, still never acknowledging Hiei's presence, slowly reached up towards the dragon with her left hand. Hiei stiffened and lurched forward.

"No! Kari, stop!"

But it was no use. Kari gently laid her palm on the dragon's nose and the black fire blazed up her arm. Kari gasped and Hiei balked, stopped in his tracks. The flames spiraled over her arm and across her chest, leaving a trail of blazing red markings, like some bizzare writing. Hiei heard the dragon growl, a pleasured sound, before the red light from the markings became too much and Hiei lost sight of them in a blinding light.

When the light finally faded, it was over. The dragon was gone and Kari was on the ground, lying on one side and not moving. Panting, Hiei dove forward and kneeled, pulling the girl into his arms.

"Kari! Kari, hey! Look at me!" It was no use, though. Hiei swiped the hair off of her face and shook her but Kari wasn't going to open her eyes. "No," Hiei murmured and pressed his ear to her chest, fearing the worst. He breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the steady thump-thump of her heart.

_She's alive_, Hiei sighed and pulled her body closer. His eyes roved over her, looking for any trace of the markings that had appeared when she had touched his dragon. Finally, he caught sight of something on the inside of her left wrist. He flipped her wrist over so he could see clearly and stilled.

_She has been marked_, the voice whispered, pleased.

On her wrist, Kari now had an oddly shaped mark, no bigger than a few inches and black as a moonless night. It was a dragon.

* * *

Kurama was standing guard outside Hiei's room. He wasn't sure what else he could do now besides wait for the demon to wake up.

After Kari had taken off into the forest, Kurama and Yusuke had gone after her but been unable to track her energy. It wasn't long after they had decided to return to the temple that Hiei had appeared with the unconscious Kari in his arms. The demon had said nothing, answering none of their questions. Hiei had simply walked to Kari's room, laid the girl down on her bed, and taken up a post at her window. It had only been after Hiei had passed out himself that Kurama had taken him to his own room.

_I might have been mistaken_, Kurama mused as he leaned against the door frame and closed his eyes. _I've never seen Hiei act that way towards anyone. He could have deeper feelings for Kari than I realized._

Sighing, Kurama decided he couldn't answer anything until Hiei woke up. If the demon was serious about continuing with whatever it was he and Kari had, they would all need to prepare for any repercussions they would incur.

* * *

_Author's note: I know, I know. This one was really short. BUT, the next two chapters are pretty damn long. 5 new reviews and I will post them! :)  
_

_Also, anyone notice the new cover art? I like that design for the mark Kari now has. Nice, right? ;)_


	19. Chapter 19

"Hiei...Hey, Hiei….Wake up! We got problems!"

Hiei jolted awake and was greeted with the site of Kari leaning over him, looking very perturbed. The demon blinked, confused not only that she was there and awake but that the sky behind her was the red sky of demon world.

"Ugh. Where are we?" Hiei grunted as he sat up. He rubbed his aching head and took in their surroundings. While the sky was relatively familiar, the terrain was definitely not. The two were in a small clearing filled with nothing but rocks and dust, surrounded by a forest of massive vines with vicious looking black thorns.

"I was hoping you would know. Last I remember, I was at the temple. I just woke up like you." Hiei's brow furrowed and he looked at her.

"You don't remember the dragon? In the woods?"

"Dragon?" Kari cocked a brow. "No, I went back to the temple to get Yusuke and Kurama like you said to." She blinked and then groaned. "Aw, I missed seeing a dragon? How unfair!" Hiei rolled his eyes, astounded Kari could worry about that at a time like this, and went back to surveying the clearing. There would be time to talk about her little interaction with his dragon once they figured out where they were.

"So, is this demon world?" Kari questioned and pushed herself up. Hiei rose from the ground as well, shaking his head.

"No, and it's not the human world either. I don't sense anything besides us here."

"Uh, I think we have another problem."

Hiei glanced at her and jerked to attention when he noticed her startled, wide eyes. She was just standing there, palm open; but something had her spooked.

"What?" Kari looked to her hand pointedly and back to him. She wasn't bleeding or injured. "I don't see anything."

"That's just it. No fire. I can't summon my fire, Hiei." Hiei balked as the realization seeped in. They were lost in some unfamiliar territory and, should they be attacked, Kari was completely powerless.

"Shit."

* * *

"You sure you saw a house with that eye of yours? Oh, geez!" Kari yelped as she tried to step over a rather large thorn but caught her leg on another, tripping. Hiei caught her before she could strike the hard, stony ground.

"Yes, it's not much farther." Hiei replied as he helped her back to her feet. Kari groaned and looked down. A long, thin slice trekked across her shin and a bead of blood trickled to her ankle.

"Good 'cause I am apparently a total clutz without my powers," she growled in irritation. It felt like they had been walking for hours and while they were traveling slowly, Kari had tripped, banged into, and stepped into every single thorn she tried to get around. Hiei, however, was proving to be much more graceful.

"Just watch where you step." He said as he let her go and turned away, annoyance lacing his voice. They were off again through the dank, thorny forest.

"I am!" Kari retorted and stepped gingerly around a small patch of rocks but right into another thorn, this one piercing her upper arm. "Ow! Urgh! It's like these stupid thing are aiming for me!" Kari groused and rubbed her newest little wound.

Finally, the two broke through the last layer of thorns, Kari achieving to gain at least two more smallish cuts. There, high on a cliff over looking a rolling sea of black, was the largest house Kari had ever seen.

"Wow…"she murmured as they began their ascent up the winding stone path to the doors. The house was massive, towering, and it almost resembled a kind of fortress. It kind of looked like a drab gray against the background of the red sky but the longer Kari looked at it, the more the color seemed to swirl and change through various hues of black and purple. Like the large stones it was made of were alive.

"So, what are we gonna do? Knock and ask for directions?" Kari asked sarcastically, looking to Hiei.

"There isn't anyone inside from what I can tell; but this is the only structure I could sense so it's our best shot." Kari blinked at Hiei's concise reply. He wouldn't look at her but she could feel his tension. Since they had begun their little journey, Hiei had been astoundingly quiet; more so than usual. Even now he had his hands clenched into fists at his side. Kari stepped in front of him, halting their progress.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she said gently, placing a hand on his chest to stop him. Green eyes were lit with concern for her friend, her brow furrowed in confusion at his brusqueness.

"I'm fine," Hiei bit back and leaned away from her touch. His red eyes were hardened and unforgiving, roving across her face and taking in her every injury; Kari wasn't going to let up.

"Hiei, I-" Kari jumped, forgetting what she was about to say, as the two large doors to the house creaked open loudly behind them. Hiei pushed himself in front of Kari, taking hold of her arm to pull her behind him. The two tried to peer into the dismal house but it was pitch black beyond the doors. They looked to each other.

"Stay close," Hiei commanded. Kari nodded and shifted his grip to grasp his hand. There was no way she was letting go.

The two entered the house and the doors banged shut behind them.

* * *

"It's dark...I hate the dark…why is it so freakin' dark?"

"Hush."

Kari couldn't physically see Hiei but the tightening grip on her hand conveyed his annoyance. After the doors had sealed behind them, the two had had no choice but to press forward into the pitch black house. With Kari's powers still M.I.A, they were left in a blackness so dark that Kari couldn't even see her nose in front of her face.

"Why don't you summon your own fire, Mr. Man?" Kari retorted. It was bad enough that she was powerless but to be stuck in this creepy house with no light was starting to grate on her frazzled nerves.

"If there is something in here, we don't want to be seen. Now, stay quiet," Hiei half whispered. Kari continued along behind him, holding fast to his hand. A few more steps and she slid to a halt. She felt Hiei tug on her hand.

"Do you hear that?" Kari asked, as she listened intently. The house groaned and the wind from outside berated the structure but there was something else there. "Is that….a baby?"

Suddenly, a white light appeared to their left, emanating far down a hallway and through a doorway. The crying child wailed louder and sent a shiver down Kari's spine. There was nothing creepier than hearing a baby cry in an old, spooky house.

Kari turned to her companion and could finally see Hiei's face in the pale light but she couldn't discern the expression on it. He almost looked….afraid; or shocked. Kari stepped around him and tugged on his hand to pull him towards the light.

"No," Hiei murmured and pulled back, his eyes starting to fill with panic.

"Hiei, we can't keep roaming around in the dark. Come on," Kari urged and tried to take his hand again. Hiei shook his head and stepped away, staying just out of her reach. The child cried on and several small lights began to flicker around them. "What's the matter with you? We have to go," she tried again. "Hiei!"

"No!" Hiei snarled, making Kari flinch back at his tone.

The room finally came to light as several torches burst into flame and illuminated the space. The front door they had entered by had all but disappeared. Now they stood in a sealed stone room with the only exit through the hallway where the child still cried.

"What the hell is with this place?" Kari murmured as she turned to take in the room.

"It's as I feared." Kari looked back to Hiei, concern etching her eyes. His eyes were cast down and his fists were clenched at his sides. "We're inside my mind." Hiei looked up and glared into the hallway, hatred and anger mixing in his ruby eyes. "And this house holds all of my memories."

* * *

Kari was getting anxious. After Hiei's little admission, the demon had promptly shut his trap and demanded she do so as well. He was just sitting there in the middle of the floor, eyes closed in concentration. Meanwhile, Kari had walked the enter border of the room, taking great care to step widely around the entrance to the hallway and the doorway beyond. She stole a glance at Hiei's face but he looked the same as he had when he sat down: his mouth in a stern line and his eyes closed. Well, his red eyes; that freaky Jagan eye in the middle of his forehead had been watching her pace for sometime.

"That kid down there needs to shut his trap," Kari growled under her breath as she flopped down against the wall and shoved her hands over her ears. "Good grief, you were a loud little shit."

"I am not the one crying down there," Hiei ground out. The demon sighed and finally opened his regular eyes, fixing her in his gaze.

"Oh, now you're done with your little meditation session?" Kari asked sarcastically. "Tell me. Did you come up with some great plan to get us out of here, Professor?"

"No, we're stuck here. Something else is controlling my subconscious so I can't open another door," Hiei said as he pulled himself to his feet.

"Well, we could always pay a visit down the hall," Kari tried as she rubbed her temple.

"No." The girl growled and jumped to her feet.

"What? So we are just gonna hang out here, with no other way out?" she barked at him. Hiei fixed her with a glare that said he was not to be trifled with. "Hiei, that is the only doorway in this place." Kari pointed down the hall and Hiei looked away.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!"

"I already said that this house is holding all of my memories," Hiei replied with a snarl, still glaring at the wall. "Any doorway will lead to a memory and we are not just going to take a little stroll through my past, got it?"

"So, we really are just gonna play the waiting game?" Hiei shrugged at her question and Kari groaned in response. The two fell into silence and for once it was not a comfortable one. Kari resumed her walking about the walls, running her flameless hands along the stone surface. Hiei took up a seat on the wall farthest from the open hallway and leaned against it, arms crossed. Kari strolled along the walls until she came to stand next to him.

"Hey, Hiei. I just had a thought." Hiei didn't make a move to reply so Kari pressed on, turning back to face the hall across the room. "You said something else was controlling this place. Maybe...maybe it wants us to go through your memories."

"We aren't going anywhere," Hiei scoffed from his seat. Kari huffed and glared down at him.

"Fine, then. I'll just go by myself," she retorted and started towards the doorway, her shoulders set defiantly. Hiei blurred in front of her, his face contorted in a mask of rage.

"No, you will not," Hiei growled. Kari wasn't backing down.

"And why not? What could possibly be so bad in there that you don't want me to see?"

"That is none of your business." the demon countered and turned away from her. Kari glared at his back and she felt her chest hitch. She had had enough.

"Why? Why do you keep shutting me out like that? What are you so afraid of?!"

The room suddenly began to shake with Kari's outburst. Both demon and girl forgot their anger and trepidation as they turned to see the floor by the far wall begin to fall away into a void of darkness.

"Hiei, what-woah!" the floor suddenly slanted under her feet. Kari lost her footing and began to slide towards the growing chasm.

"Kari!" Hiei called as he sprang towards her. Kari turned herself over and reached for his hand. Hiei caught it just as the floor disintegrated beneath her and Kari was swinging over the bottomless pit. With a grunt, Hiei jerked her back over the edge and she fell into his chest. Grateful green eyes turned up and clashed with worried, ruby red. Another shake of the room brought them back to the reality of the situation.

"Run!" Hiei called and, keeping hold of Kari's hand, the two ran for the hallway as the floor continued to fall away. Through the entrance and barreling towards the open door where the child was still wailing, it took Hiei a full ten seconds to realize just where he was leading them. At the last moment, he jerked to a halt in front of the open doorway. The world beyond was not visible in the blinding white light.

"Hiei," Kari warned and pressed herself to his arm. The floor was starting to fall away inside the hallway as well. Hiei looked down at her, panic evident on his face.

"We can't...you can't go in there," he whispered, his voice brittle. Kari looked into his face and felt a pang in her chest at his obvious dismay. Gingerly, she leaned up and pressed her lips to his, her fingers plunging into his hair. Hiei stiffened slightly at the sudden display but then responded with his own fervent kiss. Kari broke the contact and looked into his eyes.

"We don't have a choice." Kari said as she yanked hard on Hiei's hair and threw her whole body weight against him. Hiei, still a little dazed from the kiss, lost his balance and the two tumbled through the doorway just as the last of the floor fell away.

* * *

Kari came up spitting wet, soggy snow.

"Alright, I'm starting to think you hate me because between the forest of thorns, the floor trying to eat me, and now this freakin' snow, I've had just about- OOF!" Kari was tackled back into the fluffy snow and held down by a very angry Hiei.

"How dare you…" he snarled and Kari balked at his intensity. Recovering quickly, she shoved hard against his chest and pushed the demon off of her.

"I told you we didn't have a choice, Hiei. Unless you wanted to be swallowed up in that darkness and end up who knows where," Kari replied as she shook the snow from her hair. Hiei growled and stood, not daring to look at her. He was furious that she would use his lust towards her as a weapon. Kari sighed and hauled herself up, trying her best not to shake from the cold. "I'm sorry I did that to you; but I couldn't think of another way to get us out of there." Hiei didn't reply or move to look at her. "So, where are we now?"

"The land of the ice apparitions," Hiei said and started walking into the swirling snow. "My memory of it, at least." Kari hurried to catch up to the demon.

"Why would you ever come here? It's so...desolate." A small hut came into view and Kari realized she could still hear the baby crying from inside.

"I was born here." Kari watched as several women in kimonos, the ice apparitions clustered around the doorway to the hut; all whispering with wide, shocked eyes.

"Huh? But you're a fire demon. How…?" Kari trailed off and looked from the hut to her friend. Hiei would not meet her gaze.

"You'll see," he muttered. The scene wavered and shifted until they were suddenly inside the little hut. The cluster of ice maidens outside were still whispering but Kari couldn't make out what they were saying.

"Hina, you need to hold your daughter. She needs your attention, too." A tall ice maiden was standing next to a bed, the crying baby swaddled in her arms. Her hair was light blue and pulled back into a high, tight ponytail.

"I know, Rei," a small voice whispered from the bed. Kari peered around the standing woman to see who was speaking. Another ice apparition, her teal hair a tousled mess, lay in the bed with another bundle in her arms. She was looking down at it with a loving but sad smile. "Yukina will get all the attention she could ever need soon. But...my son…" her voice broke and tears began to pour from her eyes, hardening into gems as the fell from her cheeks. Kari couldn't speak and only continued to watch.

"Hina, please." Rei tried to console the woman. "You are still so weak from delivery. You mustn't work yourself up." Rei cast a glance at the bundle warriely. "Maybe the elder will show mercy and allow you to keep him."

"I will do no such thing." An older demon, her face lined with wrinkles and her form stooped from her great age, entered the hut. Hina gasped and held the baby in her arms close to her breast. The elder sneered and walked closer to the bedside. "So, it's true. You have given birth to that beast. Give it to me. Now."

"No, please. Don't take him." Hina whimpered. Rei stepped forward, blocking the elder from advancing.

"It is dangerous to take a child from their mother so soon after delivery," Rei countered, trying to stand tall.

"You know our laws, Rei. That _thing_ goes against our nature," the elder croaked. "I can sense it's energy from here. We must wrap it in this sacred cloth before it becomes too strong."

"He is not an 'it' or a 'thing'." The elder stiffened and looked back to Hina. The new mother was once again looking into the bundle with a soft smile. "He's my son…" She brushed her fingers over the top of the blankets and Kari saw a tuft of black hair appear.

"Please, elder. For Hina's sake, take time to consider this," Rei pleaded on her friend's behalf. The elder glanced between Hina and Rei, judging silently. Finally, she sighed and handed off a bundle of cloth to Rei.

"I will address the council but you must wrap it in this cloth, understand?" Rein nodded and took the fabric, bowling deeply. "Take this as a lesson, Rei. One day, you will be the elder and have to make these decisions yourself." And with that the elder shuffled back outside, not daring to look back.

Rei heived a sigh of relief and turned back to her friend. Carefully, she took a seat next to her and peered over at the child in her arms. Hina was still enraptured with the baby, smiling.

"My son…" Hina grimaced and held the baby closely as more tears began to fall. Rei laid her free hand on her friend's head, attempting to be comforting.

Kari finally broke free of the trance the memory had on her as it had played out. She turned to face Hiei, who was standing just a few steps behind her. His eyes were downcast, not looking at anything but the dark stone floor.

"Hiei…" Kari reached for him but suddenly the memory changed. They were now outside again, on a great cliff with the wind swirling madly around them.

"Rei, don't!" Kari turned to see Hina being held back by several other ice apparitions, fighting and screaming and crying.

"This is for your own good. For all of us." The elder was back, looking as decrepit as ever. She cast her withered glance to the edge of the cliff where Rei stood, looking out over the endless sea of clouds and sky. Kari could only see her from behind so she shifted forward and took great care not to touch the visions of the demons before her.

"I'm sorry," Rei murmured just loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Hiei, what is she holding?" Kari asked as she tried to peer around the ice apparition.

"Do not pity the beast," the elder croaked with final huff. Kari jerked her attention to the elder then to Hina and finally back to Rei, standing there on the precipice.

"No…" Kari whispered as realization dawned on her.

"The _imiko_ will destroy us all."

"Please!"

"I'm sorry." And Rei let the bundle with the baby Hiei swaddled inside drop over the edge.

"You killed my son!"

The memory faded, leaving Kari and Hiei once again standing in a stone room with only one exit. Kari was staring at the wall; her eyes wide and her hands clenching and unclenching at her sides.

"How could they...do that?" Kari muttered as anger and sadness welled in her chest. She jerked out of her reverie as she heard Hiei's footsteps behind her. She turned to address him, but the demon was already moving out the door and back into the hall.

"Hiei? Wait!" Kari called as she jogged to catch up to him. She followed him into the hall and saw that another doorway had appeared at the end with the same white light emanating from it.

"Hiei, I-" Kari reached for his hand but Hiei jerked away from her touch.

"Come on." With his back still to her, shoulders squared and head held high, Hiei moved towards the open door and the next memory. Kari hesitated a moment, hurt that he had pulled away from her. Finally, she moved forward, one foot in front of another; each step feeling heavier than the last. She followed Hiei through the glowing entrance and wondered what secrets of Hiei's life would be revealed to her next.

* * *

Slowly, Kari and Hiei moved from memory to memory and experienced all the major occurrences of Hiei's life. His days among the bandits, being shunned for the second time. The implanting of his Jagan eye, his return to the world of ice and learning of his mother's suicide. Searching for and finding Yukina. His battles through the dark tournament and against Sensui. His return to the demon world and his time with Mukuro.

The last memory, one of Hiei's time on the border patrol, finally faded and left nothing but the empty room the two had been met with so many times before. As with each last memory's ending, Hiei moved from the room without a word and Kari followed. She had long since stopped trying to engage him. She didn't know what to do. He had completely shut down and she was unsure how to reach him. She stepped into the hallway, expecting to see the doorway to the next part of their journey. Instead of an open doorway with a bright light, there was a set of bright red double doors. Sealed behind a wall of ice.

"Well...that's new," Kari half joked as she stepped up next to Hiei, who was looking at the sealed doorway impassively. The demon shifted to move away from her but Kari reached out and took hold of his arm. "Hiei...please." She whispered and tried to move so she could see his face. Hiei yanked his arm away and turned his back on her.

"Why are you treating me this way? I don't understand," Kari said as she, once again, attempted to get closer to him. In all the time Kari had known him, Hiei had never been so cold to her.

"Get away from me," Hiei ground out, his fists clenching at his sides. Kari flinched back, hurt. "Just...stay away." Kari pulled her hand back to her side and looked to the floor. She took a steadying breath and turned her gaze back to Hiei's tense back.

"I'm not going anywhere." Tentatively, she stepped to his side and then around to the front. She looked into his face. His eyes were clenched shut tightly, his brow furrowed, his mouth in a terse line. "I'm not leaving you alone."

Hiei's eyes snapped open and he grabbed Kari by her forearms, making her cry out in surprise at his sudden movement. Growling, her pulled her close and glared at her, his face a mask of rage.

"Are you that foolish? Did you not see any of that?" He gestured wildly behind him with one hand to where the last room still stood open, keeping a tight grip on her with the other. "I am an _imiko, _a forbidden child. I am a killer, a savage beast." Hiei pulled her even closer and snarled in her face. "_I _am a _monster_." Kari stared at him wide eyed and her hands pressed against his chest. Her arms were starting to ache from where he was grabbing her so roughly, but she barely felt that pain at all.

"No, you're not," Kari whispered in response. Hiei stiffened, stunned at those three little words; but he quickly recovered and resumed his cloak of anger. He shoved Kari away from him, making her stumble back and land painfully on her backside.

"You are just a foolish human girl," he growled down at her. Kari turned those unsettling eyes on him and Hiei had to steel his anger. Those damn eyes of hers.

"Maybe I am," Kari countered and picked herself up from the stone ground, never breaking eye contact with the seething Hiei. "Maybe I am just some lowly little human and maybe I am stupid." Hiei growled and jerked his gaze away from her, turning to face the still frozen over door.

"But I understand." Hiei stiffened but he couldn't face her again. "I understand what its like to be different. To be born with a power that you don't really comprehend and that others can never understand." Kari looked down to her flame-less hand. "I understand how you can feel like a monster."

"You understand nothing," Hiei sneered, still glaring at the sealed door before him. The ice almost looked to harden and darken even more.

"Wanna bet?" He cast a sidelong glance at the girl as saw that Kari had regained some of her inner fire. "Why don't you use that fancy eye of yours and take a peek in my head?"

"You really want me to look through your mind?" Hiei challenged, uncertainty lighting his gaze as he turned to face her. Kari nodded once. She didn't smirk or joke; she was astoundingly serious. Cautiously, Hiei stepped closer to her and removed the bandana over his Jagan eye. The third eye slowly opened but Kari didn't break her gaze from Hiei's. Hiei reached for her and settled both of his hands on either side of her head.

"You're sure about this?" he asked, giving her one last chance to back out.

"Go ahead," she replied and closed her eyes, leaning into his palms ever so slightly. Hiei closed his own eyes and willed his Jagan to see into her mind.

* * *

_Author's note: I just love leaving you guys with cliff hangers. ;) Review if you want the next chapter!  
_


	20. Chapter 20

Experiencing Kari's memories was vastly different than how they had witnessed his. It was more like watching a movie inside their heads. Hiei could sense Kari's presence alongside him but he could not see her.

The first memory blurred into view and he watched. A young Kari was sitting on a small bed, staring at the ground. She was dressed in a black dress and her hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. Voices echoed from the doorway but the people owning them were nothing but shadows.

"So sad."

"So young."

"Who is gonna take the kid?"

"Not me! I have four of my own!"

"I can't handle a kid her age."

Hiei felt a pang in his chest and realized that it was little Kari's heart, breaking silently inside her. The voices continued.

"That kid is gonna have a lot of issues later on."

"Yeah, who wouldn't?"

"Her parents are gone."

"They're dead."

"Tragic."

Little Kari gripped the comforter in her tiny hands and a small hiccup escaped from her. Hiei watched as a tear slid down her cheek and fell. She was hurting, dying inside from this pain, but no one was there to comfort her or assure her that things would be ok. She was just a child and she was alone.

The scene wavered and changed. Kari was a few years older now. Her face was cloaked in fear and she was staring down at her hands. Flames were leaping from her fingertips and Kari was shrinking back from the fire.

"What have you done?!" Kari turned her fearful eyes on her gram. The old woman stood in the doorway, one hand over her mouth and her own eyes looking on her granddaughter with terror.

"I don't know," Kari cried. "Gram! Help me!" Gram shrunk back as Kari tried to reach out to her. "Gram, please!"

The scene changed again, blurring into the next vision. Gram was kneeling over Kari and placing a pair of white gloves, her first gloves, on her hands.

"You have to keep them on, do you understand?" Kari nodded blankly and Gram turned the girl's face up to look at her. "If you start to feel overwhelmed, what do you do?"

"Breath and control," Little Kari said sternly. The child was standing straight and strong for someone so young.

"That's right." Gram nodded. The scene blurred and Little Kari was panicked again.

"I'm scared. It's getting worse," she cried as she backed into a corner, her gloved hands grasping her forearms, hugging herself. Gram was in front of her, hands up in a, supposed to be, calming gesture.

"You have to calm down, Kari. Breath," Gram made to reach for the girl but Kari pulled away.

"Don't touch me!" Gram flinched back visibly. "Please. I don't want to hurt you."

The visions progressed faster. Flashes and wisps of Kari's life blurred in and out. Hiei watched as she grew from a little girl into a young teenager. He watched as she snapped at and verbally abused her classmates, resulting in them shunning her. Hiei watched as thirteen year old Kari finally discover the escape of running. Learning new tricks in her backyard and stealing away time to herself to try to hone her control. This Kari never seemed to smile genuinely like she did now; only a cruel smirk when she would insult a classmate that was getting too close. She kept everyone at arm's length.

One memory hung on longer than the others. Kari was sitting in the small cusp of woods behind her house, alone as always. It was dark, nighttime, and she was surrounded by fire, clutching her head and sobbing. Hiei felt her despair and fear. She didn't understand why or how she had gained her abilities. She hated this awful curse. She hated herself.

The memory blurred again and Kari looked as she did now, albeit just a year or two younger. She was sitting in a classroom, her high school, and more shadows and voices swirled.

"She's so weird."

"Does she ever talk to anyone?"  
"She's got some sick moves but she won't join the gymnastics team."

"What's with those gloves?"

"Freak."

"Weirdo."

"Hey, I'm Keiko." Suddenly, Keiko came into focus and she took the seat next to Kari. Her hair was short, much like it had been the first time Hiei had ever met her. "You're Kari, right? We're supposed to be partners for our science project."

Hiei could see Keiko's aura swirling around her, or at least Kari's memory of it, and he felt another ping of emotion: curiosity. The memory shifted and Kari was outside, walking home. Keiko was trailing behind her.

"I can do the project alone and just give you the credit," she was grumbling. Keiko jumped in front of her with a stern expression.

"That's really not fair. We are supposed to work together on this."

"I'm more than capable of doing it myself," Kari growled, her defensive side growing with her anger. Keiko suddenly grabbed her by the elbow and began to drag her the other direction.

"Yeah, I'm sure but I want to help." Kari balked at the girl's brazenness but continued to allow Keiko to drag her down the street.

The memories sped up again and Hiei watched as Keiko and Kari's friendship grew. Slowly but surely, Kari began to open up bit by bit. He watched as she met Kuwabara and Yusuke for the first time. Those two only brought her out of her shell even more.

Finally, he saw her first memory of him. High in the branches of the trees, staring at her. He felt an echo of Kari's tingle move down his spine and realized she had felt the same thing he did at their first meeting. The memories flashed in succession of all the time they had known one another. Kari's veiw of him was not enhanced or altered; she saw him as he was: stubborn, sarcastic, tough, and closed off. He felt her feelings toward him shift and change with each memory. What started out as a curiosity morphed into a fondness and finally a feeling of content peace when in his presence. A vision of their first kiss in the woods came with a feeling of longing. The incident with Koenma and the bracelet brought with it trust and comfort. Pangs in his chest echoed Kari's distress as memories of Hiei's absence or attempts to keep his distance from her came to light, followed by glowing memories of happier times spent together.

Kari's feelings towards him became too much and Hiei severed the contact, his breath coming in short pants.

"So, you get it?" Hiei snapped his eyes open to see Kari staring at him with a look he couldn't discern. Sometime during their tour through her memory, the two had moved closer together and Kari had placed her hands on his chest. She continued to look at him quizzically. "You understand now?" Hiei slowly moved his hands back through her hair, unsure what to do.

"You aren't afraid of me?" he asked and Kari shook her head 'no.' "Even after seeing what I am? What I've done? Your...your feelings are no different?"

"Everyone does things they are not proud of, Hiei. Your past does not affect my view of you," she replied with a small smile. Hiei felt his chest hitch and he flinched back. Kari reacted and brought herself closer to him, not letting him step away.

"Why?" he demanded, not understanding how she could still crave his touch or friendship. Kari gently wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his shoulder. Hiei tensed at the contact and his hands slid to her hips, not returning her hug but still keeping her in place.

"Because you are my friend. I care about you." Hiei felt the pang again and his hands slid around her back ever so slightly. "Maybe it's also because I'm a little selfish...and I don't want to be alone again." Hiei leaned his head against hers and breathed in her scent. His chest was tightening painfully the more she talked and it felt as if he would fall to pieces if he didn't keep a tight hold on her. "And I-" Kari's breath hitched and Hiei felt her tense before she turned her head to face his neck and nuzzled herself closer. "I don't want you to be alone anymore either."

With that one little statement, Hiei clutched tighter to Kari than ever before and she held him right back. He felt something inside him cracking and the demon wasn't sure he would survive whatever it was.

During their exchange, neither had noticed that the ice covering the doorway had begun to develop cracks throughout it. At the same time that Hiei felt something break open inside his chest, the ice, too, broke and shattered. The two jerked their attention to the doorway, not releasing their hold on the other.

"What the hell?" Kari muttered as she looked down to the floor where all the ice was starting to melt away and evaporate into nothing. The red doors slowly creaked open and revealed a long hallway, lined with more doorways and illuminated with a dull red light.

Kari looked to Hiei, meeting his own puzzled gaze. With a nod from the demon, Kari took his hand and lead him through the doors. As always, these doors sealed behind them as well but the wall of ice did not return.

What would they find next?

* * *

Kari held tight to Hiei's hand as they made their way to the first open doorway. Red velvet curtains hung from the frame and were roped back at the sides to allow the two to look inside. A memory, much like the ones they had spent so much time going through, played out on the inside.

It was a scene from the Dark Tournament, when the stadium had begun to collapse. The two watched as Hiei sped forward to save Yukina from a crumbling wall, narrowly pulling her out of the way in time. The memory looped itself, playing over and over.

"Well, that's new," Kari said and looked down the hall. "Are there memories in all these rooms?"

"It would appear that way," Hiei replied. Kari released his hand and went to look into the next room. Another memory of Hiei and Yukina played, this one their conversation when Yusuke was leaving for demon world the first time.

"How are we supposed to know where to go?" Hiei shrugged and peered into a room across the hall. Kari turned and moved on to the next doorway.

"Don't go far," Hiei warned.

"I'm not, but it might be faster if we each look," Kari replied as she progressed down the hallway, only glancing into a room before moving forward. "Shout if you find something."

Hiei turned back to the memory he had first stopped at. Inside, he and Kari were training, working on a new acrobatic move together. Hiei caught Kari as she lost her balance and she looked at him, laughing. He watched only a moment longer before moving on. The next one was another of Kari, this time showing how she had looked to him when he first discovered he lusted for her: laid out beneath him after the bookcase at her house had begun to topple. He glanced back down the hall and could barely make out Kari's form in the dim light.

He wasn't sure what to think.

* * *

Kari continued on down the hallway, looking into each room and trying to figure out what the pattern in these memories could be. The only connection she could discern from her brief time looking was that they were all of Hiei and his friends. She had passed memories with Yukina, Yusuke, Mukuro, Kurama, even one or two of Kuwabara. There had also been a few memories of she and Hiei together, which she had smiled at before moving on.

She kept moving, passing memory after memory, before she came to the end of the hallway. As she came to look in the last room, she paused. There was no light in this room and there didn't seem to be any memory in here at all.

"Huh?" Kari questioned as she gingerly stepped past the doorframe and squinted into the darkness. "There's nothing here."

A shift in the shadows caused Kari to jump. She looked closer, wishing she had her powers so she could light up this room. She could just barely make out a shape, like a person, crouching against the wall.

"Hello?"she tried and moved towards the thing, reaching out a hand cautiously. A low growl had her jerking her fingers back to her side. She shifted backwards as the creature turned its eyes on her, glowing red in the darkness.

"Uh oh," Kari muttered as she quickly backed into the hallway and pressed herself against the far wall. The being followed her and crept into the dim red light, crouched and snarling. As it dawned on Kari just what she was staring at she felt her breath hitch.

She screamed as the thing leapt for her throat.

* * *

Hiei's progress through the hall of his memories was slower than Kari's had been. He, too, was trying to figure out what exactly they were supposed to be looking for. Almost every memory can across had something to do with Kari or Yukina and the longer he looked upon these happy memories with the girl, the more he felt that tiny pang in his chest. What was that?

Just as Hiei was beginning to get fed up with this stupid search, he heard Kari's scream resonate down the hall. Panic overtook his senses and Hiei was running toward the sound.

"Kari!" he called ahead into the dim hallway. Finally, he came upon the seen and stopped in shock.

It was...him; holding Kari against the wall by the throat, choking her.

"What the-?!" Hiei said, causing the other Hiei to cut his gaze away from Kari's darkening face. Its eyes were manic and its teeth were bared. Kari glanced over as well and cast him a glare.

"Do...something!" she choked out, nails digging into the 'bad' Hiei's arm in an effort to be released. The 'bad' Hiei looked back to her and squeezed tighter on her throat. Hiei sprang forward and rammed the creature with his shoulder. Kari was free and fell to the floor, coughing and gasping for air, while the two Hiei's grappled and fought. As much as Hiei tried to keep the monster's attention, it seemed like it was much more interested in going after Kari. Hiei pinned it down, growling and snarling.

"Hiei! What is that?!" Kari finally gasped out and pulled herself to her feet.

"This is not the time for questions," Hiei ground out as he continued to fight the monster. A moment of distraction and Hiei was caught by one wild punch, knocking him off the beast and into the wall.

"Hiei!" Kari called but the beast was leaping at her, claws extended. Kari dodged the monster but it kept coming. She blocked and fought but it was too strong. She glanced back to check on Hiei and the monster tackled her to the ground, holding her down by her shoulders. It growled and stared into her startled eyes, it's own red ones filled with an unspeakable rage. It moved its hands to Kari's head and squeezed hard, making the girl cry out in pain. Something, she wasn't sure what, flooded into her mind and Kari felt her heartbeat pick up. Adrenaline rushed her system and Kari understood: this feeling was fear.

"Get off of her!" Hiei snarled as he rushed the monster again and knocked it away. Kari lay on the ground dazed for a moment as the onslaught of emotion subsided. She sat up and watched as Hiei and the monster went for round two.

"Hiei...Hiei! It's your fears!" she called, certain that she was correct. Hiei looked to her confused but quickly returned to his fight.

"What are you talking about?" He replied as the monster attacked.

"Trust me, I saw it. That thing is all your fears rolled into one. It's like a defense mechanism!"

"So, what do you expect me to do?!" Hiei growled, still fighting. The monster juked around him and dove for Kari again. Hiei watched as she didn't move at all but waited to be hit head on.

"Isn't it obvious? You have to face your fears, Hiei!"

Kari didn't bother to block but instead let the 'bad' Hiei punch her with all its might. She was thrown back down the hall and the monster followed. Kari grunted as she collided painfully with the ground. The beast was atop her again, hands wrapped around her throat. She glared up at the monster and then hocked a glob of spit in its face. The monster roared in anger, pulling up one hand to wipe away the offensive moisture. Kari used the distraction to flip the beast on it's back. She never saw its hand and the sharp claws swinging towards her face. With a cry of pain, the monster lodged one sharp finger into Kari's left eye and drew blood. Kari jerked her head to the left and rolled away, gasping in pain and clutching her face. The monster surged forward once again and grabbed Kari about the throat. It slammed her poor head against the wall, knocking her into a daze. It pulled back to slam her again.

Hiei didn't know what to do. He could only watch, dumbfounded as Kari was pummeled and beat. As soon as the creature drew blood and Kari had cried out in pain, Hiei just reacted.

"I am afraid!"

The monster stilled, its muscles twitching with tension. Kari lazily glanced towards the real Hiei, who had shouted the confession. He was glaring at the beast, his fists clenched.

"I am afraid...of being alone." The monster dropped Kari and began to stalk Hiei. Kari sagged against the wall, her left eye blinded and in searing pain where the monster had struck her while her head was ringing from the blow to the head. She couldn't make out what Hiei was saying but she could tell the beast was not pleased.

"I am afraid…" The monster swung at Hiei but he caught its fist in one hand. "I am afraid of letting anyone in." The monster snarled and thrashed against Hiei's hold but it was losing resolve. Hiei clenched the fist even tighter and the bones in the monster's hand cracked under the pressure.

"I am afraid...of loving someone."

The beast howled in agony and evaporated in a cloud of ash. Hiei finally allowed himself to breath as the monster vanished and he could feel a weight he had never noticed before leave his chest. His eyes settled on Kari's still form and worry seized him.

"Kari!" Hiei rushed to her side and kneeled next to her. Her eyes were closed and blood was still dripping from the left one. She was banged up and bruised from all their time spent inside his mind. "Kari? Look at me. Say something," Hiei ordered as he wiped some blood from her face. Kari peaked open her right eye and looked at him.

"Something," she coughed out and gasped as she tried to sit up. Hiei moved to pull her close and she fell against his chest.

"Smart ass," he muttered as he finally settled her into his lap, cradling her against his chest. He shifted them, resting himself against the wall and holding the girl close. His little ordeal had exhausted him as well and all he wanted was to rest for just a moment.

"You walked into that one," she half laughed and looked up at him with her one green eye. "I missed your victory over the nega-Hiei." The pang in his chest returned and Hiei looked down the hall.

"It's still here," he said. Kari stiffened in fear but Hiei, the good Hiei, turned his red eyes back to her face reassuringly. "Don't worry. It's subdued for now." Kari relaxed back into his grip.

"Yeah, I guess fear never really does go away, huh?" she said and laid her head on his shoulder. Hiei nodded in agreement and rested his chin on her head.

"What happens now?" Kari asked but Hiei didn't have an answer. This hall didn't lead anywhere so they were stuck.

"You go forward with what you have learned." A deep voice resonated through the hall, not belonging to Hiei or Kari. The two tensed and looked around wildly, searching for the disembodied voice. The shadows began to writhe and take form, shifting into a long, serpentine body. Two glowing golden eyes appeared in the shadowy mass. "Do not be afraid." The shadow finally took solid form. The two golden eyes belonged to that of a great, black dragon.

"Hiei, do you see the dragon?" Kari loudly whispered, her one good eye widened in awe.

"Yes, he does, Princess."

"Hiei, did you hear the dragon call me 'Princess?'" she asked, half giddy. Hiei tightened his hold on Kari and stared down the beast.

"You did all this?" The dragon blinked slowly and replied.

"It was necessary."

"Oh, it was? Just how was all of this necessary?" the demon retorted.

"Hiei," Kari scolded, "you don't argue with a freakin' dragon!"

"Your bond needed to be stronger. And it is," the dragon said and cast its gaze upon Kari. "I am sorry for your injuries. I can heal you, Princess."

"Uh huh, that's good, put a pin in that. Why do you keep calling me 'Princess'?" Kari probed, waving away the notion of being healed.

"Because that is what you are." Kari and Hiei looked to each other, confused.

"Well, what does that make him?" Kari jerked her thumb at Hiei and cast her questioning look to the dragon. The dragon gave another slow blink.

"He is the Guardian." Another confused look was shared between the two so the dragon continued. "There is no time to explain but you will understand soon." The dragon reached one massive claw forward and gently laid the tip on Kari's brow. A soft, golden energy emanated from that claw and flowed over Kari's wounds and into her injured eye. "The Dark Mountains await you both. You will find your answers there."

Before Hiei or Kari could ask what he meant, the scene around them began to fade. The red hallway drifted away, taking the dragon with it, until all that remained was Hiei and Kari in a void of darkness.

"Well, we can chalk that up on my list of crazy things." Kari suddenly felt a tug on her body, trying to pull her from the demon. "Hiei!"

Hiei felt a pull on himself as well and tried to hang onto the girl; but it was no use. No matter how hard he tried to keep his hold on her, a vicious energy ripped the two apart and Hiei had to watch as Kari vanished into the darkness, only having a moment to call his name one last time before she was lost from sight.

* * *

Hiei jolted awake, gasping for air as he sat up. It took a few moments for him to register that he was in his room at Genkai's temple, in his bed with the sheets clenched in his fists.

"Kari!" Hiei said as he ripped himself from the bed, sending the covers flying. He stumbled to the door and shoved it open, fighting off a wave of dizziness. Kurama was outside the door and jumped when it suddenly shot open.

"Hiei, what is it?" Kurama asked worriedly as he took in his frazzled friend. Hiei deigned not to answer and instead blurred around the fox, rushing for Kari's room. Kurama called out for him to wait but the demon was too intent on his mission. He burst into Kari's room, panting, and was greeted with a sleepy but awake Kari sitting up in her own bed.

"Hiei?" she asked as she rubbed her left eye with her fist and yawned. "You had a freaky ass dream about going through your mind, right? Cause there was this house and a Nega-Hiei and a dragon-" Kari's rambling was silenced with Hiei's lips pressed against hers.

"Yes, I saw it all, too," the demon said as he broke their lip lock and placed his forehead against Kari's with his eyes closed. "Are you hurt?" He pulled back enough to look at her, both hands going to cup her face gently, and Kari smiled up at him, shaking her head 'no.' Hiei's brow suddenly furrowed as he looked intently at her, his hands dropping to her shoulders. Kari cocked her head to the side.

"Um...I'm good. What are you staring at?" she asked and placed a few fingers to her cheek, trying to feel for something that would make Hiei stare at her like that.

"Your eye…" Hiei murmured, still looking at her like she had developed some weird facial tattoo.

"Huh? My eye?" Kari blinked and looked about the room, squinting one shut then the other to test her vision. "It seems like it's working fine." Hiei shook his head and reached for the mirror he knew Kari kept on her bedside table.

"Take a look." Kari took the mirror from his hand, fixed him with a cocked eyebrow, and finally looked at her reflection. She blinked and looked closer, twisting the mirror to the right and left to see if she was just seeing a trick of the light.

"Well….that's definitely new," she conceded as she looked back to her demon friend. Her left eye, the one destroyed by the nega-Hiei and healed by the dragon, had a perfect and distinct gold ring around the pupil.

* * *

_Author's note: I loved writing these last two chapters. This is actually the first thing I wrote for this story. :) Well, I hate say it but I am officially on hiatus until after my wedding. :( I know, I'm sorry. I just won't have time to sit down and right out the last 10 chapters or so with so much going on. I promise that as soon as I get back in a few weeks, the story will be up and running full steam towards the ending. :) Please leave a review!  
_


	21. Chapter 21

_The wind rustled the tall grass, making it swirl around Kari gently. This field she was in seemed to go on forever, with only the waist high grass in every direction. She looked up, squinting against the bright yellow sun in a clear blue sky. _

_ "Where am I?" Kari asked aloud. _

_ 'Open the door,' a soft voice rumbled from nowhere. Kari tensed and spun around quickly, looking for the source of the voice. There was nothing. _

_ "Where are you?" she called out. _

_ 'Open the door,' the voice repeated earnestly. _

_Kari growled and turned once more, eyes scanning the field. She jumped when she finally saw a large, ornate white door suddenly appear on her right. It was massive, towering well over ten feet in height and etched with all manner of bizarre markings that seemed to swirl and writhe against the wood. Kari slowly walked towards it, cautious. _

'_You must open it. Before it's too late,' the voice pleaded. _

"_Too late for what? I don't understand," Kari murmured as she circled the object. The far side did not appear any different to her. _

'_The truth. You have to accept the truth...and share it.'_

"_What truth? Share it with who?" Kari was starting to get annoyed. "Just freakin' tell me!"_

"_Kari?" The girl jerked around and came face to face with Hiei. She gasped when she noticed how beaten he was; bloody and injured like he had been fighting a horde of demons on his own._

"_Hiei!" she cried out, panicked. Kari tried to run but she felt her feet sinking into the suddenly soft ground. She was sinking into the mud fast and no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't get to her friend. Hiei fell to one knee, his face contorted in pain and Kari felt her chest hitch._

'_You have to accept it,' the voice said again. Kari panted with the effort of trying to escape. _

"_Hiei," she pleaded with her hand outstretched. The demon extended his own hand but when their fingers finally touched, Hiei vanished in a cloud of ash. "No...please, no," Kari begged as the mud sucked her down. The earth closed in over her head and Kari was lost in a cold darkness._

'_Tell the truth...and set me free.'_

* * *

Kari jerked awake, sitting straight up and gasping for air. Looking around wildly, expecting to see the field or the door, Kari was relieved to see that she was merely in her room at Genkai's temple. It was still dark outside her window, the only light coming from the moon reflecting off the freshly fallen snow.

"It was just a dream...it was just a dream," Kari murmured to herself, trying to slow her erratic heart rate. A vision of the dream Hiei, bursting into ashes, blinked through her mind and Kari stifled a cry. "It wasn't real. Hiei...he's fine," she lectured herself.

She rubbed at her eyes, telling herself that she was rubbing away a panicked night sweat and not tears. She was almost a grown woman, for god's sake. There was no way she was gonna cry over a silly nightmare.

Kari glanced at her left wrist and the black dragon mark seemed to stare back at her, even in the darkness. It had been three days since her little adventure into Hiei's mind and three days since these crazy dreams had begun.

Sighing, Kari threw her arm over her eyes and thought back to her conversation with the demon only earlier that night.

* * *

"So, have any idea where these 'Dark Mountains' could be?" Kari was lounging on her bed, clad in a light pink tank top and a pair of black, baggy pajama pants. She was taking in the mark on her wrist, the black dragon glaring against her pale skin, but her question was directed at the demon who was currently looking out her window.

"There are quite a few mountain ranges in Demon world but I've never heard of any of them referred to as the Dark Mountain," Hiei replied matter-of-factly.

"Well, that's no help," Kari sighed and started to absently twirl a lock of hair around the fingers of her other hand. "I don't know of any such place here in human world, either. At least, not off the top of my head." Kari cast a glance at Hiei's back. "Do you sense something out there?"

"No." Kari rolled her eyes and pushed herself off the bed to stand by him.

"What's so interesting out there, then?" she teased and leaned one shoulder against the wall, looking at Hiei's impassive face. He didn't reply or look at her. Kari shrugged and looked out the window as well.

"Do you think we should tell the others about the whole dragon thing?" Kari probed.

"I don't see a point. As far as I'm concerned, it's none of their business."

"Meaning you don't want Koenma to find out." Hiei tensed and finally turned to look at her. "Hey, I agree," Kari continued, ignoring his bewildered look and still staring out the window. "The last thing we need is Spirit world getting involved. There is no telling what they might decide to do." Kari scoffed and her eyes hardened. "Who knows? If Kurama's hunch is right, they could just show up and take me out."

"Don't ever say that," Hiei growled dangerously. Kari jumped at his tone and looked up into his face. He was furious; mouth set in a terse line, brows pulled together over his roiling, red eyes. "That is not going to happen, understand?"

Kari blinked, taken aback by Hiei's obvious anger. The demon sighed and reached forward to rest his hands on her hips, pulling her close and locking his eyes with hers. His thumbs were rubbing against her hip bones and Kari couldn't help but shiver at the feeling. The girl extended her own hands to lie on Hiei's biceps and rest her forehead against his, his Jagan eye warm through his headband.

"I'm keeping you," Hiei murmured, tightening his grip ever so slightly on Kari, as if he was afraid she would disappear in a wisp of smoke. Kari let out a soft chuckle and trailed her fingers up his arms and around Hiei's neck. Kari smirked at Hiei's low growl as she gently played with the hair on the back of his neck.

"Do you own me now?" she half laughed, her voice low and husky, and planted one sweet kiss on his jaw.

"You're attempting to distract me," Hiei accused, trying to sound stern. Kari chuckled and trailed her nose along his jaw, up to the demon's ear.

"Is it working?" Kari whispered hotly and pressed herself closer to Hiei. She wasn't entirely sure where this new, brazen attitude had come from but everything in her was screaming to be closer to the demon, to seduce him and garner his attention. Hiei was usually the one to hold the reigns but this shift in power was a little intoxicating. "Want me to stop?"

Hiei growled again, the sound rumbling deep in his chest, and he pushed forward so that Kari was pinned between him and the wall. Kari panted a bit at the sudden shift and cast her eyes on Hiei, the gold ring in her left eye shining brightly against the green.

"Never."

* * *

Kari blushed a bit as the memory of her little make out session with the demon started to replay in her head. The hot kisses, the roaming hands, the two of them finally falling to the bed and continuing as if their very time together was still so limited. Of course, they hadn't gone too far. Hiei had stopped when he could feel the shift in her energy and left not long after, retiring to his own room for the night.

_You could go crawl in bed with him._ Kari tensed at the thought and shook it away quickly. She rolled back onto her side, ignoring her instincts that were screaming at her to seek out Hiei and kiss him until she had no breath left in her. For god's sake, she had woken up freaking out about a nightmare only a few minutes ago and now she was consumed with the thought of jumping Hiei's bones? Groaning, Kari burrowed herself into her covers and squeezed her eyes shut.

She didn't sleep much more that night. No, her mind was too busy trying to place the voice that belonged to that heated thought.

* * *

Oh, she was tired. Dead on her feet, falling asleep, tired. Kari was supposed to be meditating, Keiko by her side and the brisk morning air blowing through the open door and into her face, but she was nodding off every few minutes.

"Focus!" Genkai barked and rapped Kari on the back of the head, hard. Keiko snorted softly, holding back a giggle at Kari being reprimanded. Kari couldn't even growl in irritation. She merely yawned out an apology and tried to clear her mind.

"This is not nap time," Genkai lectured, crossing her arms in a huff. "Maybe I should go make you shovel the snow with the dimwit. Would that wake you up?"

_Maybe I wouldn't be tired if stupid door dreams and crazy hormones telling me to make out with a certain someone didn't keep me up half the night,_ the girl argued internally.

"I'm sorry, Master Genkai," Kari muttered. Genkai huffed.

"Go find Hiei and train with him. You are wasting my time."

Kari sighed and picked herself up off the floor. She didn't have the energy to argue with the old woman. Trudging out of the open training hall door, Kari wandered off through the temple. Hiei usually spent his mornings training alone and Kari didn't want to bother him. Not to mention that she didn't trust herself not to launch herself at the demon. Almost as an after thought, Kari remembered the couch in the living room was plush and cozy. If Yusuke and Kuwabara were off doing something else, Kari could steal a few hours to herself and squeeze in a few extra hours of sleep.

"Hell yes," Kari muttered over a yawn. Entering the living room, she promptly plopped herself down and turned on the tv. She channel surfed for a minute before settling on some tv documentary covering ancient ruins. She was just thinking how cool it would be to free run through an ancient temple when her eyelids slid shut and she was asleep.

* * *

Hiei was not training this morning. Not how he usually did, at least. He was sitting cross legged on roof, the snow still coming down gently and settling into his hair. It didn't bother him in the least. No, what was bothering Hiei was that he couldn't find that stupid little voice in his head now. Months of that voice egging him on and convincing him to do what he wanted and now...nothing.

_Where are you?_ Hiei growled mentally. His jagan was glowing softly under his bandana, searching the depths of his own mind. _I know you are there, dragon._

_I have a name, you know,_ came the low, snarky reply. An image of the great black beast appeared before Hiei, translucent and visible only to the demon.

"I don't care about your name," Hiei retorted as he glared at the beast. "I need to know more about these 'Dark Mountains' and what I have to do with it." The dragon blinked slowly and looked towards the sky, pensive. It was a few moments before the creature spoke again.

_She is the world, you know. The light, the air, everything._ The dragon looked back on the demon and blinked again, golden eyes burning. _You don't see it yet. _The dragon started to fade away, a forlorn look in his eyes.

"You didn't answer me!" Hiei barked, trying to will the creature to remain.

_Accept the truth. Only then can I help you both._

The voice echoed away into nothing and Hiei was alone again on the roof. The demon glared down at his bandaged arm, clenching his fist tightly and cursing the creature he now knew was more sentient than he had first thought.

"Useless." Shaking off the layer of snow he had accumulated while on the roof, Hiei leapt from the roof and landed in the snowy yard. His ears perked up when he heard voices coming from behind him. Curious, Hiei jumped up on the walkway and slid open the door slightly to peek inside. The tv was on, showing some ancient human city in ruins, and a voice over was explaining the history of the site. Hiei was about to dismiss it all and head off into the forest when another soft rustling sound reached his ears.

Slowly, Hiei entered the room fully and slid the door closed as quietly as possible. The tingle worked down his spine as he rounded the edge of the couch and set his sights on the sleeping Kari.

_What is she doing in here?_, he asked himself while he took in her sleeping form. Kari was on her side, facing the tv and sleeping soundly. Her breathing was slow and even, her features relaxed and soft.

Moving soundlessly, Hiei knelt before the sleeping girl and brushed some hair from her shoulder. He had noticed how tired she had been the last few days, even though she denied it. He knew she wasn't sleeping through the night but he would ask her about it later. Grabbing a blanket from the back of the couch, he draped it over Kari and left just as silently as he had come. He would let her sleep for now.

Sliding the door closed, Hiei flickered out of sight and was off into the woods. The dragon's words echoed through him, making him uneasy.

_You don't see it yet._

* * *

Hiei was not the only one to check on the sleeping Kari. Deep in the unexplored depths of demon world, Minoru was watching the human girl through his enchanted basin. Kari's sleeping visage rippled in the surface of the water and Minoru, his gray eyes glassed over, groaned with longing as he looked upon her face.

"Oh, soon. Soon, my little doll," Minoru whispered huskily, his voice resonating in the empty stone room. "You are getting to be so powerful," the demon cooed and scraped a long nail along the rim of the basin. He groaned again and smiled down at the image. Slowly, he ran his tongue along his two long, sharp fangs, shuddering at the feeling.

"My precious pet...you will be delicious."

* * *

_Author's note: I am BACK! Sorry for the delay. I have had some serious writer's block but I think with this chapter, I should be back on track. Next chapter is in progress so please leave a review. They fuel my midnight writings! _


	22. Chapter 22

Kari blinked against the bright fluorescent lights overhead and let out a yawn. She was trying to remember exactly how she had gotten to the mall this morning.

_Oh, that's right,_ the human girl thought and glared at the backs of her best friend and a certain blue haired deity. _Those two._

"Oh, Kari! You should buy some new clothes! Maybe a dress of a new skirt?" Botan chirped and flashed a smile at the bed raggled teen. Kari merely grumbled something under her breath and scratched at the fluffy scarf Keiko had shoved at her before dragging her from her house. It was early January now and the weather was still chilly enough that normal humans were bundling themselves up. Kari grumbled something again as she snatched the offending article from her neck.

"What's that?" the brunette asked sweetly. Kari shot her a look that meant to say 'I know what you are up to, Keiko Yukimora.'

"I don't like surprise parties, you guys." Keiko stifled a laugh while Botan looked affronted at the accusation.

"I simply have no idea what you could be talking about," Botan defended, waving away the notion. "Oh, look! We have to stop in here!" Botan suddenly grabbed up the two girls and darted into the store, leaving a trail of dust in her wake.

_I really hate my birthday,_ Kari thought with a twitch as she watched Botan dig through one rack after another, slinging clothes at her and exclaiming how cute they all were. _Hiei is gonna get it for ditching me like this._

* * *

Yukina was trying not to laugh but she was losing that battle. Shortly after Kari had been kidnapped by Botan and Keiko, she and Kuwabara had arrived at the teen girl's house. Shortly after that, her teenage human boyfriend had instantly gotten into a fight with Yusuke about where to place the streamers and birthday banner.

"It's still off center, Urameshi!"

"Well, lift your side higher, doofus!"

"It's high enough!"

"Urgh!" Yusuke growled and fumbled with his side of the banner, one end hanging over his head haphazardly. "How does it look from over there, Hiei?"

"Like you two are colossal idiots," Hiei deadpanned from his seat by the window, not bothering to open his eyes and actually look at them.

"Pft. Like Hiei cares if Kari has a nice birthday," Kuwabara grumbled with a scowl and proceeded to tack the end of his banner into the wall. "Not that I'm really surprised. Shorty didn't even get her a Christmas present-YIKES!" Kuwabara came crashing down to the floor, the chair he had been standing on some how having slid out from beneath him. Yusuke busted out laughing at the carrot top, releasing his side of the banner and letting it flutter down to settle over Kuwabara's head.

"Dude, you gotta learn not to pick on ole three eyes," Yusuke choked out between his laughs. Kuwabara growled and tugged the banner off his head, prepared to lash out at Hiei for knocking him down; but the demon was no where to be found.

"Tch. Coward. Running off before a man can retaliate," Kuwabara grumbled, his face red in anger and embarrassment.

"Oh, please. Unlike some people, Hiei still trains all the time," Yusuke replied and took the banner from his friend to tack it to the wall. "Now, quit your whining. Who knows how long Keiko and Botan can distract Kari?"

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to stop for coffee? How about tea and sweets, eh?" Botan pleaded, trailing along behind Kari and trying to keep the girl from heading home. The vein in Kari's forehead was pulsing with annoyance as she, Keiko, and Botan all trudged down the snowy street.

"Oh, there is a great tea shop close by," Keiko added exuberantly. Kari threw a glare over her shoulder, effectively stopping the two babbling girls in their tracks.

"And why can't we just go back to my house for tea, hm?" she questioned. Botan and Keiko floundered for an answer, smiling just a little to wide to be sincere.

"Uh...because…uh, Keiko?" Botan tried and silently prayed that Keiko could come up with something.

"Um, well...uh…"Keiko stiffened and looked wildly around. "Did you sense that?" Kari cocked an eyebrow and scanned the street, feeling for any bizarre energy.

"I don't sense anything," Kari muttered still looking around. Botan gave Keiko a bewildered look but Keiko just smiled and held a finger to her lips, signaling Botan to keep quiet. "You sure, Keiko?"

"Oh, well, um...maybe I was-oh!" Keiko swayed on her feet dramatically and fell into Botan, one hand across her brow.

"Hey! What's wrong?" Kari asked worriedly, reaching for Keiko and checking her for sudden injuries.

"Oh, I just...got so dizzy. I'm not sure I can keep walking," Keiko said with a breathy voice, appearing faint.

"Poor Keiko! We should all rest inside where it's warm. This coffee shop, for instance," Botan added and fanned at Keiko's face. Kari looked to the store front behind her and then back to her friends, a scowl forming on her face.

_They are seriously going all out, huh? _Kari internally groaned.

"Alright, Lady Prim-and-puff. We'll hang here for a while," Kari bit out before stomping into the shop. Keiko and Botan shared a triumphant grin and followed the birthday girl inside.

* * *

Hiei was irritated. Not just because Kari had been taken hostage by Keiko and Botan for most of the day, but also by what Kuwabara had said just minutes before.

_Like Hiei cares in Kari has a nice birthday._

Growling, Hiei stopped his hasty trek through the park and camouflaged himself in the branches of a large oak tree. There were more humans walking through the park today than usual but he didn't pay them any mind.

Those morons, setting up a party that Kari obviously didn't want. Balloons and streamers and that ridiculous sign? Hiei knew her better than any of them did. He knew Kari would smile and be nice but, deep down, she wasn't interested in all the pomp and circumstance. Kari had no interest in material gifts or parties. She had told him as much, back during the human holiday of Christmas.

* * *

_"Don't you want to go back and celebrate this Christmas thing?" Hiei asked, watching as Kari was filling two mugs with water from the sink. The rest of the group had returned to the city earlier that day to spend time with their own families, but Kari had elected to stay at the temple for a few extra days._

_ "Nah, I'm not big on Christmas," Kari replied flippantly as she placed the mugs between she and Hiei, wrapping her palms around them. "The lights and stuff are cool but giving gifts can be a pain." The water in the mugs began to steam slightly, heating up at Kari's touch. _

_ "I thought people liked getting gifts," Hiei interjected. Kari shrugged, grabbed a container labeled "COCOA" and began scooping heaping spoonfuls into the mugs. _

_ "Most people do. I just don't see the point in having more stuff than I already do. Marshmallow?" Hiei nodded and Kari tossed a few small puffs of white into his mug before sliding it towards him. _

_ "So, you don't want presents?" Kari popped a handful of marshmallows into her mouth and fixed him with a teasing look._

_ "Aw. Did you get me something?" Hiei scowled and lifted his mug to his nose, noting the chocolatey smell. _

_ "Don't be ridiculous," he muttered and took a tentative sip. It was good; sweet, but good. Kari laughed and lifted her own mug, toasting him. _

_ "Fair enough."_

* * *

Hiei had seen the few colorfully wrapped boxes on the kitchen table. All of their group had brought Kari a gift... but not him. Even if he had deigned to do such a thing, Hiei could think of nothing to give her. Sighing, Hiei leaned his head back against the tree trunk and closed his eyes.

What did Kari like?

Well, free running, obviously; but what kind of gift could he give her for that? Shoes? Yeah, but he had no idea where to get them or what size she wore. Kari liked video games. Hiei had seen her play with Kuwabara and Yusuke tons of times; but, again, he didn't know enough about them to know what to get.

Frustrated, Hiei huffed and crossed his arms. This was idiotic. He didn't have to get Kari anything. The whole notion of celebrating someone's birthday was pointless to him. So someone managed to survive for another year? Big deal.

_It's not about survival_. Hiei growled as the dragon's voice bounced around in his head. The translucent beast materialized slowly, draping it's long serpentine body around the branches.

"How is it every time you decide to talk, it's about something stupid?" Hiei bit out sarcastically. The dragon gave a long, slow blink in reply. "What is it all about, pray tell?" Hiei groused.

_Showing how much someone means to you. That you are grateful for their presence in your life,_ the dragon replied. _You are grateful for her, are you not?_

Hiei stiffened and let the dragon's words seep in. It was true; Hiei was grateful that Kari was a part of his life. Not just because he liked kissing her or training with her. It was more than that but he couldn't put a name to it. The dragon was eyeing him carefully, watching the demon think.

_She enjoys your company, _the beast continued, it's golden eyes twinkling as it started to fade away. _And she has a knack for adventure. _Hiei contemplated those last words as the dragon disappeared.

"Adventure?" he asked aloud, brow furrowed as he wondered what that could mean. Suddenly, it dawned on him. The perfect gift for Kari. Smirking, Hiei pulled himself up and flitted away. Kari's party would be starting soon.

* * *

"I'm sure I can walk now, Kari," Keiko said sheepishly, a blush on her face from all the people staring at them. Kari was toting Keiko along on her back as she and Botan walked through the park, heading back to Kari's house.

"Oh, but Keiko! You were so faint earlier," Kari replied with a sugary tone. "You mustn't tire yourself by walking."

"But I could help Botan with the bags…" Keiko offered and glanced back at the blue haired reaper. Botan waved halfheartedly from behind all the shopping bags she had been saddled with. Kari grinned evilly and turned the corner out of the park. Her house came into view and Kari noted that the lights were all off and she could sense all her friends inside.

_Called it, _the teen thought smugly and set Keiko down as they neared the gate. Keiko and Botan were smiling like maniacs, trying to remain cool and Kari sighed inwardly. _They did work really hard, I guess. How bad could it be?_

Kari slid her key into the lock and turned the handle. The door creaked open and BAM!

"SURPRISE!" Yusuke and Kuwabara screamed, pulling the string on their party poppers and dousing Kari in a tidal wave of pink confetti and streamers. Yukina, Kurama, and Hiei were present, too; the former two waving little flags with Kari's face on them and the latter looking grumpy in his festive party hat.

_Bad, apparently_, Kari mentally growled as she tried to shake the layer of pink paper from her face.

"Happy Birthday!"

"We totally got you!"

"Don't you just love it?" Botan beamed as she stepped around Kari and looked into the girl's face. Keiko gingerly sidestepped the girl as well, trying to stifle her laughter.

"Oh, yeah. I've always wanted to look like a pink nightmare," Kari bit out and the streamers and confetti exploded into ashes. The group all paled as Kari dusted the ashes from her clothes and glared at the two boys before her. "You two can clean that up."

Botan leapt forward and smacked a plastic crown on Kari's head, the letters proclaiming that she was the "Birthday Princess!"

"Careful with that one! Melted plastic would be hard to get out of your hair," Botan chirped and slung an arm around the girl. "Alrighty, boys. Chop, chop!"

"But why do we have to?" Yusuke whined and Kuwabara nodded fervently in agreement. Kari grinned and pointed to the ridiculous crown on her head.

"Can't you read? I'm the princess so you have to do what I say," Kari said with a majestic air.

"Kari, we have dinner made, if you're hungry," Yukina interjected politely. Kari smiled over at the apparition and nodded.

"Sure, let's eat. Not you two," Kari added as an after thought and marched herself into the kitchen, the girls all following behind. Yusuke and Kuwabara hung their heads and grabbed up the brooms Kurama offered. Looked like their dinner would have to wait.

* * *

Ok, so birthday parties weren't so bad. The confetti attack and the crown aside, Kari actually liked having all her friends over and eating good food. Especially the amazing chocolate cake Yukina had made; topped with dark chocolate icing and sliced strawberries.

"Are you gonna lick the plate next?" Hiei muttered to her as Kari scraped her fork across the china, gathering up the last of the frosting.

"If I chose to do so, no one can judge cause it's my birthday. So, there," Kari stuck her tongue out at the demon before shoving the frosting covered fork back in her mouth. That cake was too good to waste.

"Alright! Present time!" Botan sang out and dumped the armload of gifts onto the coffee table. The colorful paper and bags looked right at home next to all the extra confetti and party plates. Kari blinked and looked around her group of smiling friends.

"You guys didn't have to buy me presents, you know. The party is gift enough."

"Don't worry. We didn't go too overboard," Keiko assured her. Kari blushed a bit and looked away. This was starting to be too much.

"Here! Open this one first!" Kuwabara laughed and all but chucked a crudely wrapped gift into Kari's lap. "That's from me and Urameshi."

Kari picked apart the paper, which looked like last week's comics page, to reveal a wicked looking black butterfly knife.

"Cool! Thanks, guys," Kari chuckled, flipping the blade open and examining the sharp silver blade; it was almost as long as her index finger and glinted dangerously in the light.

"Told you she would like it!" Yusuke crowed and stuck his tongue out at Keiko. Kari laughed and flipped the blade closed before setting it down on the table.

"This is from my mother. She sends her best," Kurama said politely and handed Kari a tin with a beautiful flower mosaic on the top. Wedging the lid open, Kari's face split into a huge grin.

"Coooooooookies," she said, low and gravely, before grabbing one and taking a huge bite. "Thanks, Kurama." The group laughed at Kari's exuberance over the baked goods while Botan thrust a long, slender box with a massive pink bow on it at her.

"Ta da!" the reaper cried with shining eyes. Kari, a cookie still dangling from her lips, accepted the box and peeled off the bow.

"Hold this," she mumbled around her treat and stuck the bow quickly onto Hiei's shirt, causing the demon to growl at her and rip the offending decoration off of himself. Ignoring him, Kari ripped off the paper and snapped open the black case. Inside, resting on a bed of velvet, was the fanciest, and pinkest, ink pen Kari had ever seen.

"Wow, that's shiny," Kari gaped, completely and genuinely impressed.

"It's more than just shiny," Botan beamed and lifted the pen out to show it off. "Presenting the mega handy, super dandy, Hundred-and-One Multi Use Super Pen!" The group all blinked at Botan's declaration for a moment, with Yusuke breaking the silence.

"Hey, wasn't that one of my detective tools?"

"Well, not this exact model, but yes," Botan admitted. "Allow me to demonstrate!" Botan clicked the top of the pen and it magically elongated into a sword.

"We have the sword attachment." Another click. "The medieval flail." Click. "A tire jack, although that seems a bit excessive."

"Holy crap, that's awesome!" Kari cried with a huge smile. Botan beamed herself and clicked the pen again so it returned to normal.

"I'm so happy you like it!" Botan replied and handed the gift back, allowing Kari to examine it. "Just think what it is you want it to do and poof!" Kari grinned and clicked the pen, which 'poofed' back into the sword.

"Hey, Hiei. Wanna spar when we're done here?" she asked cockily, wiggling her eyebrows at the demon.

"You have a few more gifts, first," Keiko interjected. "Um...you can put that down." Kari chuckled and clicked the pen to return to normal. Yukina, blushing, extended her own gift, wrapped in soft blue paper with a pretty white ribbon.

"I'm sorry it's not as 'awesome' as Botan's," she murmured sweetly. Kari gave her a sincere smile and pulled away the paper. Then she busted out laughing.

"Oh my god! It's so stinkin' cute!" she cackled and turned the box for everyone to see. Yukina's gift was an alarm clock with a large and smiling kitten on top. The picture on the box depicted the cat waving and chirping out happy messages in the bright morning sunshine. "Yukina, this is fantastic. Thank you!"

"You're quite welcome," The ice maiden smiled up at Kari, glad that she had found something that her friend really liked.

"Well, that is going to go really well with these," Keiko said as she offered up the largest bag. Kari set the clock down and fixed her friend with a sassy look. Digging into the bag, Kari pulled out a box with a blue desk lamp and a clear package with blue bed sheets in them.

"Thanks, Keiko. I needed a new lamp," Kari replied but then peered at the label on the sheets. "Um...these are twin sized." Kari was confused; Keiko knew she had a queen sized bed upstairs.

"These are for when we move into our dorm at university in the fall," Keiko explained, smiling happily. "I bought some for myself so we'll match." Kari blinked for a moment, looking baffled, but then she plastered an overly big smile back on her face.

"Oh, yeah. That! Thanks, Keiko," she laughed and placed the items back in the bag to Keiko's delight. The group all babbled on for a bit and cleaned up their plates. Kari never noticed that Hiei had gone completely still.

The party was soon over and the group began gathering up their things and saying their goodbyes. Kari thanked them all again for the great party and the wonderful gifts, smiling and making plans to meet up with them all soon.

Hiei hadn't stuck around for the group's farewell but instead vanished up to his borrowed room. Fuming, he paced the floor back and forth. Keiko's gift had infuriated him. Not that he had any vendetta against lamps or bed sheets, but simply because it meant that Kari had already made plans about her future and not told him. Plans that he wasn't a part of.

* * *

Kari sat at her desk, leaning forward with her chin resting on the back of a hand while staring at Keiko's gifts. Her brow was furrowed, deep in thought, while her other hand fiddled with a lock of hair absently. The gang had all left more than an hour ago and, after putting all the leftover food in the fridge and gathering up the last of the trash, Kari had finally gone to her room with all her gifts in tow.

She didn't look up but she knew when Hiei came into her room. The familiar tingle, which she knew they shared, trickled down her back.

"Hey," she muttered, twining her hair around her fingers. Hiei leaned against her desk and gave the small lamp box a thump with one finger.

"If you're waiting for this to do a trick or something, you are in for a rude awakening," Hiei sneered. Kari just sighed and continued to play with her hair, tugging on it harshly from time to time. Hiei reached over and pulled her hand away. "What's your problem? Aren't you supposed to be excited about living with Keiko?" Kari sighed and moved her other hand under her chin, silent.

"I'm not gonna live with Keiko," she finally murmured and put her forehead on her desk. "I'm not going to university next year." The demon blinked at the back of her head, his frustration from earlier starting to wane.

"Why not?"

"Because I didn't send in my application for the entrance exam," Kari admitted, her head still down. "I've missed the deadline."

"Did you forget?" Hiei scoffed.

"No," Kari replied with a sigh and lifted her head back up, fixing him with an odd stare. "I filled out all the paperwork. I just...didn't mail it off." Kari groaned and kicked back from her desk, running her hands through her hair in irritation. "God, I feel like such a deadbeat."

"I don't understand," Hiei growled. "I thought you wanted to continue with this school nonsense."

"Yeah, well so did I," Kari grumbled and dug the heels of her palms into her eyes.

"Then, what happened?" Kari lifted her hands and stared up at the ceiling, a plethora of emotions working in her eyes.

"The summer happened," she murmured. Hiei waited for her to continue; she did. "Before then I was just being the 'good girl'. Behaving, keeping my head down, doing what I was supposed to. But, then I got to...let loose." Kari glanced at him and smiled the tiniest bit. Hiei thought back to the memories Kari had shared with him; she was a completely different person than the little girl who feared her own power.

"So, what are you going to do?" Kari looked away and crossed her arms.

"I don't have a plan." Hiei tensed. This was it; this was his chance. Now, he had the opportunity to offer his gift. Watching Kari's face closely, Hiei continued.

"What do you _want_ to do?" Kari blinked and thought for a moment, trying to find an answer. What did she want?

"I could always travel, I guess? Go see the world?" Hiei grinned.

"Which one?" Kari glanced at Hiei's smirking face and cocked a brow. "What if you could see something no other human would ever get to see?"

"Meaning…?" Kari stretched and fixed the demon with a confused look. Hiei moved towards her, towering over her seated figure.

"Come back to demon world with me." Hiei murmured huskily, reaching forward to twine his own fingers through her hair. "I'll show you adventures you've never dreamed of." Kari stared at him wide eyed for a moment, never imagining that Hiei would offer her a chance like this. She leaned into his touch, loving the feel of his rough hands against her cheek. She had never really considered what her future might hold but the prospect of staying with Hiei, being at his side and he at her's...It dawned on Kari what she really, really wanted.

"You sure you want to take a weakling like me to demon world?" she teased and reached her own hands out to settle on his hips.

"You are not weak."

"You're right. I'm a princess," Kari laughed. "You'll keep me safe?" Hiei grinned and leaned down, brushing his lips against hers.

"I _am_ the Guardian," he murmured. Kari smiled and pressed her lips against his, her fire coursing through him. Hiei groaned against her; the feel of her fire, her hands inching beneath his shirt. He swooped Kari up in his arms, making her clutch him tightly in surprise, but never broke their kiss. Gently, he laid her down on her bed, positioning himself on top of her. He finally did break apart from her and looked into her flushed face. She was beautiful; hair splayed around her, eyes half lidded with that golden circle shining at him. He wanted her with him...always.

"Come with me," Hiei murmured and nuzzled closer, placing his forehead against hers and running up hand up her side. "We can go anywhere."

"Together?" Kari asked softly, her hands trailing up his back to lock around his neck, playing with his hair. "Just us?"

"Just us."

Kari smiled and kissed him again, showing him that she accepted. Hiei returned her kiss fervently.

They were staying together.

* * *

_ 'The truth! You have to see it, admit it, share it!'_

_ The voice was begging with her, crying, but Kari still did not understand what "truth" she was suppose to admit._

_ "Stop it! Just stop it!" she cried out as the tall grass whipped and flew around her, lashing out at her and leaving long slices across her raised arms. The accursed white door was there, closed like always. _

_ 'It'll be too late.'_

_ "Please don't," Kari whispered, afraid to look up. She knew what was coming. The same thing that happened every time she had this dream._

_ 'Too late…'_

_ Kari covered her face and fell to her knees in the grass, ignoring the pain of the whipping weeds. She couldn't look; it was worse every time and she didn't know if she could take anymore._

_ "Kari…please…" Shaking, Kari peaked through her fingers and bit back a shriek. The sky darkened overhead and tears spilled down her bloody cheeks at the sight before her._

_ "Kari…" Hiei called as he limped forward, blood dripping from his lips and holding his gashed open side. He smirked at her and opened his mouth to speak again. His words were cut off as the point of a sword erupted through his chest and Hiei's face froze in pain._

_ She screamed…._

* * *

...and awoke screaming. Kari shot up in bed with a cry, drenched in sweat and shaking. She was at home, in her bed, and it was dark. Kari jerked back towards the wall as her bedroom door shot open and Hiei burst in, sword in hand.

"What is it?" he demanded, scouring the room for attackers but they were alone. Kari choked back a sob, slamming her hands over her mouth, and clenched her eyes shut, the terror of her dream still fresh.

"Are you hurt?" Kari peaked her eyes open to see Hiei's concerned face. Sheathing his sword, he sat on her bed and cupped her face. "What's wrong?"

Kari cracked. She dove forward and latched herself to Hiei, burying her face into his bare chest and letting the tears flow free. She rambled incoherently about doors and voices and truths she didn't know, all the while crying and saying she didn't want to go back to sleep.

Hiei gently wrapped his arms around her and let her cry. Seeing Kari this panicked was a little unnerving but he knew she would calm down soon. After a bit, Kari's rushed words slowed and her breathing evened out but she still held tight to Hiei.

"So: doors, voices, I'm dead, and grass that bites. Have I got that all correct?" Hiei asked, looking down at the top of Kari's head. The girl nodded against him but otherwise did not reply. "You've had this dream a lot?" Another nod. "Hn. I knew you hadn't been sleeping right."

"Are you saying I sleep wrong?" Kari bit out and looked up at him, scowling at him with puffy eyes and tearstained cheeks.

"I'm saying, that I get why you're tired so much," Hiei retorted. Kari rolled her eyes and put her head on his shoulder.

"I'm never sleeping again." Hiei chuckled and lifted Kari off her bed only to set her back down by her pillows, lie down next to her, and pull the covers over both of them.

"You have to sleep," Hiei said and pulled the now blushing Kari against his chest, one arm around her back and the other draping over her side. Kari squirmed and glanced up at Hiei. His eyes were closed and he looked like he wasn't getting up anytime soon.

"Are you seriously snuggling me until I fall asleep?" Kari asked incredulously. In all the time she and Hiei had been 'together', they had never done anything like this. Sure, they had made out on her bed a few times but this...this felt way more intimate.

"Do you want to be alone?" Kari cringed and cuddled into Hiei's chest, enveloping herself in his warmth.

"No…"

"Then I'll stay. Now, hush. I'm tired." Kari sighed and shifted herself so she was more comfortable, her head resting by Hiei's chest. After a few minutes, something didn't seem quite right so Kari pressed her ear to the demon's chest.

"Hiei?"

"Hm?" he grunted and creaked an eye open. Kari was looking at him wide eyed.

"You, uh...you don't have a heart beat…" Hiei scoffed and closed his eyes again.

"It's a demon thing. I'll tell you later." Kari blinked again and laid her head on Hiei's bicep. She didn't think she would ever get back to sleep with all the questions she suddenly had, but Kari's eyes eventually did slide closed and she slept peacefully well into the morning.

It was the first night of many where Hiei and Kari would fall asleep side by side.

* * *

_Author's note: An extra long and extra fluffy chapter! Hiei and Kari, making plans. *Swoon*. Not gonna lie, I got a little giddy writing some of this. :) So...next chapter is ready to be posted...if any one is interested. I need reviews to keep the writer's block away. R&amp;R, peeps! Thanks!  
_


	23. Chapter 23

"Teehee! Time to get up, Kari! Meow!"

A bandaged fist shot out from beneath Kari's blankets and smashed into the obnoxious cat alarm clock, silencing the device and leaving a new dent in the kitten's already beat up face.

"You don't have to smack it so hard, you know," Kari grumbled from beneath the covers. The hand retracted and resumed its place on the young woman's hip.

"I hate that stupid clock," Hiei mumbled. Kari giggled a bit and snuggled closer to the demon, enjoying his warmth. "You are not bringing that thing to Demon world."

"Aw, but it was a gift from your sister." Hiei growled which only sent Kari into another half asleep fit of giggles. Finally, she groaned and rubbed at her eyes with a closed fist. "I gotta get up."

"No," the demon commanded, tightening his grip on her. This had become a morning ritual since Hiei had started sleeping in bed with Kari almost two months ago. Kari groaned again and nuzzled against his chest.

"I've missed school twice this week already," Kari sighed. "I gotta go."

"You're smart enough." Kari shot Hiei a look, glaring at him in the muted light beneath her blankets; but the demon was smirking at her with a teasing glint in his red eyes.

"Six more weeks," Kari mumbled and pressed a kiss to his lips before flinging the covers off of herself. Hiei watched as Kari rose from the bed and stretched, her tank top riding up to show a sliver of toned midriff. "You gonna hang around here today?"

"Hn. Probably." Kari smiled at him and ran her fingers through her hair, finger combing the knots in her curls.

"Uh huh. No stalking me at school this time. Keiko and I have a project to start on and I can't ditch her again." Hiei grinned and rolled onto his back, placing his bandaged hand behind his head.

"I make no promises." Kari rolled her eyes at her demon companion and left the room to get dressed. She didn't need to be late. Again.

Hiei sat up as well, straightening his tear gem to hang correctly on his bare chest. He listened as Kari rummaged around in the bathroom, searching for a hair brush and griping to herself about how early it was. The demon couldn't help the small, secret smile that turned up the corners of his mouth just the tiniest bit.

In six weeks, Kari would graduate high school and they would be off to travel across the Demon world. Just the two of them.

* * *

Hiei walked with Kari as far as the park before they parted ways. Her school was only another two blocks away and Kari usually met up with Keiko on the other side of the park. Watching, hidden in the branches of a tree, Hiei saw the two met up and continue on to school; Keiko chatting away and Kari listening intently.

The demon kicked back in the tree and closed his eyes. He could let Kari have a few uninterrupted hours at school. True, he was bored but he would have Kari all to himself soon enough. No more school, no more obligations, nothing but the promise of adventure on the horizon. The demon was just starting to doze off when a jolt of energy flashed through his mind.

"What are they doing here?" Hiei growled and sat up, tracking the energy with his Jagan. Flitting from the branch, Hiei trailed behind the two energies he felt, taking great care not to be sensed. Finally, he came to a stop by Keiko's restaurant and perched on the rooftop overlooking the alley below.

"You guys blend in real well with all that armor." Hiei could pick out Yusuke's snarky voice anywhere. Of course he would be here. Yusuke had been working for the Yukimora's for quite some time now.

"We have a situation in Demon world," another voice Hiei also recognized, low and gruff, spoke. Interested, Hiei jumped down into the alley and revealed himself.

"Captain Hiei!" the two demons, both tall males with orange crew cuts and olive skin saluted our fire demon. They were both well over six feet, had stern, chiseled jaws, and strong auras; but these two knew when to show respect to a more powerful demon.

"Hey, Hiei. You know these jokers?" Yusuke asked, earning a small glare from the two demons.

"Hn. Obviously," Hiei retorted and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Why are you here? I no longer work for the border patrol, so stop saluting me." The two obeyed quickly, dropping their hands in unison.

"We apologize for disturbing you and Mr. Urameshi."

"But we have an urgent situation in demon world." Yusuke scratched the back of his head and yawned.

"Yeah, like what?" The two demons blinked at his obvious boredom but carried on.

"There has been a lot of human trafficking going on in Gandarra, as of late."

"That is hardly worth the trip to living world," Hiei interjected coolly. "You can't possibly expect me to believe that a band of slave traders is too much for you two."

"No, sir, of course not," one of the demons replied.

"We came at the behest of Kurama. He' been overseeing the mission during his time there."

"Wait a minute," Yusuke broke in. "Kurama doesn't work for the border patrol. And why the hell is he in demon world?"

"Since the activity has been going on in Gandarra, we sought out his opinion so as to apprehend the trade master and end this slaver's ring once and for all."

"Yeah, and…?" Yusuke griped, becoming annoyed with how long this was taking.

"Well, uh...Kurama has discovered that the demon behind all the trades is a demon named Raisho." Yusuke looked between the two demons and then back to Hiei.

"Does that mean anything to you?" he asked, genuinely confused. Hiei rolled his eyes.

"Raisho was the ring leader of the demons who attacked back in the summer. Idiot." Yusuke nodded, remembering.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. Well," Yusuke grinned and cracked his knuckles. "we can't let people who tried to kill us just go waltzing around. Boys, we are headed to demon world!"

"Forget it," Hiei deadpanned, earning a frazzled look from the ex-detective. "Go if you like but I am staying here."

"Aw, come on, Hiei! I'm sure Ka-" Hiei smacked Yusuke hard upside the head, stopping the detective from saying more while in the presence of these two demons.

"Stop talking," Hiei hissed, keeping his voice low. "You two," he turned his icy glare on the demon pair and pointed to a corner of the alley. "...give us a minute." The demons saluted him and moved to the corner, doing their best not to listen.

"You didn't have to hit so hard," Yusuke grumped and rubbed the growing bump on his head. Hiei returned his hardened gaze to him.

"I'm not going to let your big mouth cause any problems for me," Hiei threatened. "Keep _her_ out of this."

"Alright, alright. Geez," Yusuke muttered. "Seriously, though. It sounds like Kurama needs us. You really not gonna help?"

"It's none of my business," Hiei replied and turned away, intent on leaving while he still had a chance. Yusuke put a hand out to stop him.

"Look I know you don't wanna leave Kar-uh, _you-know-who_ here alone but think about it. This Raisho guy has already attacked once. Hell, maybe twice; I mean, we still don't know who sent those demons back before Christmas." Hiei tensed and looked over his shoulder at Yusuke. "I'm just saying. This is probably something worth looking into."

Hiei let the idea roll around in his head for a moment. Yusuke had a point; taking out Raisho once and for all would probably save them all a lot of grief. Not to mention, there were a few things he needed to arrange in demon world before bringing Kari along.

"Fine," Hiei muttered, deciding that the prospect of keeping Kari safe was well worth this impromptu trip to demon world. Yusuke grinned cheekily and turned around to address the demons.

"We're in! When do we leave?"

* * *

Kari packed up the last of her school books and threw her bag over her shoulder. The school day had drug on forever, or so it seemed, and she was ready to get home.

"Are you ready, Kari?" Keiko asked, standing in the doorway of Kari's classroom with her own bookbag and a smile on her face. "We're still going to your house to work on our project, right?"

"You know it," Kari replied and fell into step with the girl. The two walked a ways down the hall before Keiko spoke.

"Is Hiei gonna be there?" Keiko asked meekly.

"Well, yeah," Kari said with a stretch. "Isn't he always?"

"That's true, I guess...Are you two, like...living together?" Kari blanched at the insinuation and turned her wide eyes on Keiko.

"Say what now?" Keiko blinked at Kari's baffled face but then broke into a sheepish grin.

"I'm sorry, that was a silly question!" Keiko laughed and turned back around. "I mean, Hiei is just staying at your house. It's not like you guys are dating or sleeping together or anything!" Kari sweatdropped while Keiko changed the subject and chattered on about their upcoming project.

_Oh, if Keiko knew..., _Kari thought, picturing the girl's astounded face and boundless questions if she was aware of just how close Kari and Hiei really were. She still hadn't told Keiko about her's and Hiei's plan to leave for demon world right after graduation. _I really should tell her soon. I mean, I can't just not show up on moving day. Urgh! But how the hell am I supposed to bring this up? "Oh hey, Keiko. I forgot to mention that I'm not going to college. No, I'm going to go run around demon world with Hiei, who I make out with on a regular basis. Laters!" _Yeah, that would go over so smoothly.

"Hey, what's Yusuke doing here? And...is that Hiei?" Keiko's question broke through Kari's inner freak out and the girl turned her eyes to the school gate. Sure enough, there was Yusuke and Hiei, watching the girls exit the building. "Did they tell you they were coming by?"

Kari shook her head 'no' and felt the tingle roll down her back as her eyes locked with Hiei's. His rigid stance and hardened gaze spoke volumes to her.

"Something's up."

* * *

"I'm only gonna be gone for a few days, Keiko. Can't you please just do this one thing for me?" Yusuke was pleading with his girlfriend, kneeling before her on the couch with his hands steepled together in a begging gesture. After meeting the girls at school, Yusuke and Hiei had rushed them all to Kari's house, explaining that they had a mission to see to and would be leaving that evening.

"No," Keiko sniffed, nose in the air and head turned to the side. "I'm not going to drop my entire life because you want to go galavant around demon world with Hiei and Kurama."

"Damn it! Kari, will you please tell Keiko that you two have to go to Genkai's?" Yusuke growled and looked to the other schoolgirl. Kari sighed and leaned back in her chair. She could feel Hiei staring at her from the window, daring her to disagree with the plan he and Yusuke had cooked up.

"It's really not an option right now, guys," Kari replied and rubbed at her temple. "We can't skip school. Keiko and I have finals in a few weeks."

"_This_ is more important that some stupid human school," Hiei snarled from his place. Kari shot him a look and pulled herself forward.

"Keiko and I are not completely defenseless, you know. Plus, Kuwabara isn't too far away." Kari locked her eyes with Hiei, willing him to understand. "Do you really think demons would attack us in the city?"

"Yeah, Kari makes a good point," Keiko interjected. "Both times we have been attacked, we were at Genkai's. They wouldn't dare come here, not with all the human bystanders."

Yusuke and Hiei shared a look, silently arguing the points both girls had made. In the end, Hiei shrugged and Yusuke looked over to Kari.

"Will you at least go stay with Keiko for now? Just until we get back." Kari smiled and nodded.

"Don't worry. We'll be fine," she promised and pulled herself up from the chair. "I'm gonna grab some stuff and we can head over to Keiko's."

"Make sure you have all your school supplies," Keiko added in an attempt to be helpful.

"Seriously? I'm going to demon world and all you can worry about is school?" Yusuke griped and crossed his arms.

"Well, excuse me that I value my education!" And so a fight broke out between the two lovers.

Kari glanced at Hiei and nudged her head in the direction of the stairs. Nodding, they both blinked out of sight, leaving Yusuke and Keiko to their argument. At the top of the stairs, Kari quietly closed her door and turned to face Hiei.

"Should I be worried?" she asked, eyeing Hiei suspiciously and moving to pack her bag.

"Haven't you already decided that you aren't worried?" Hiei retorted and moved aside for Kari to get to her dresser.

"I didn't want Keiko to start panicking," Kari replied and looked over her shoulder at him. "But do you really think we should go to Genkai's?" Every instinct Hiei had was telling him that Kari and Keiko should go to the old psychic's home while he and Yusuke were gone; but the sight of that gold ring in Kari's left eye, vibrant against the green, reminded him that Kari was strong enough to protect herself.

"Just don't be stupid while I'm gone," Hiei finally muttered and pushed away the feeling of anxiety he had about leaving Kari alone. Maybe a trip to demon world would be good for him; obviously he was losing his nerve by being in human world for so long. Kari scoffed and turned back to her dresser with a grin.

"I don't know about that. I was thinking about taking a little stroll through the back alleys of downtown around midnight. Maybe pick a fight with some biker guys," she barked out playfully. Hiei whipped her around, grasping her shoulders and looking intently into her surprised face.

"I'm serious," he growled. "You go to school and Keiko's and that is it. If anything happens, you contact me on Keiko's communication mirror. If you get attacked, you fight to kill. Do you understand?" Hiei pressed, digging his fingers into her shoulders.

"Ok, I get it. No funny business," Kari replied and wiggled in Hiei's grasp, a little uncomfortable. "I'll behave, alright?"

"Good," Hiei said and released his hold on her but maintained his eye contact to drive his point home.

"School and Keiko's. I'll be plenty busy so I won't go around looking for trouble," Kari swore and turned back to her packing.

Riffling through her drawers for another uniform top, Kari's hand bumped into a hard, boxy item in the corner of the drawer. Tugging aside an old school skirt, Kari realized the bulky object was the dragon book. She had forgotten that she had stashed the book away months ago, back during the Obon festival, when Yukina and Keiko had been in her room selecting kimono. Kari tugged the odd volume out and looked over the cover, eyeing the white and black dragons for a moment, before shrugging and tossing it on the bed.

"Are you taking that with you?" Hiei questioned, snatching up the book himself and flipping through the blank pages.

"Yeah, why not?"

"Because it's empty and useless?" Hiei tried and gave her a questioning look. Kari chuckled and slid the drawer shut.

"Maybe I'll use it as a journal and write down all my deep dark secrets," she teased and tossed the few uniforms she had picked out on the bed as well. Hiei smirked and threw the book on top of Kari's clothes.

"Oh? Like what?" he asked, advancing on the girl and pushing her back against her desk; hands latching onto her hips. Hiei had never really said it but seeing Kari in her short skirted school uniform everyday was...tempting.

"Just the usual: list of people I've murdered, what I did with the mutilated bodies, my super secret recipe for Five Alarm Nachos. Typical teenage girl stuff," Kari replied with a sugary sweet smile. Hiei scoffed and leaned forward to put his forehead on her shoulder.

"You're ridiculous," he muttered with a smirk, breathing in her scent. It was dawning on him that he and Kari wouldn't stay up watching crazy internet videos tonight; and they wouldn't fall asleep in the same bed. Hiei realized her wouldn't get to punch that stupid cat clock in the morning and watch Kari get ready for another day of human school. Suddenly, he wanted to make sure he got as much of Kari as possible before he left. It was like he had been sentenced to death and this was his last meal.

Kari shook slightly under his hands, holding back a laugh and completely unaware of Hiei's inner turmoil, before she, too, leaned in close.

"Yeah, but it turns you on," Kari murmured hotly against his ear. Hiei grinned, shoving the bad thoughts away, and looked up into her face. Kari had an eyebrow cocked suggestively and that sassy smile on her lips. The beast within him growled, hungry.

"Immensely."

* * *

Yusuke was at a loss for what to do. He and Keiko had argued for almost twenty minutes, their topics spiraling into old arguments so quickly that he had lost track of what exactly he had been apologizing about. Now, Keiko wouldn't even look at him and he could tell she was fighting back tears.

"Keiko?" he tried softly, reaching over to place a hand on her shoulder. Keiko flinched away from his touch and didn't bother to look at him. "Keiko...I'm sorry," Yusuke pleaded, becoming more concerned with her behavior. Keiko never cried when they fought.

"No, you're not," she muttered angrily. "You're not sorry for what you did; you're only sorry because I'm mad."

"Well, that's because I don't understand why you get all pissy every time I go back to demon world."

"That's the point!" Keiko screamed and turned her furious, tearful eyes on him. "You constantly just ditch me here and run off to go play in _that place_! Do you even care how worried I am every time you leave? Do you know that I can't sleep or carry on with my life because I'm terrified that you won't come back?!" The tears were flowing now and Keiko wiped at them with a fist, choking back sobs. "I-I trained so hard with Genkai, trying to be str-strong like you. I worked so ha-hard and...you don't even acknowledge it!" Keiko turned away from him again, unable to look at her boyfriend anymore.

Yusuke was speechless. He was astounded to realize just how much he had been neglecting Keiko over the years. It had never once occurred to him that she was worried when he left for demon world. Hell, there had even been times he had left without telling her, only bothering to explain after returning. He thought back to his fight with Yomi and the realization he had had back then. Had he ever told Keiko how much he needed her or how much he really cared? When was the last time he had told her he loved her?

"Keiko, you're...everything to me," Yusuke finally murmured, looking down at his hands. He heard Keiko still sniffling next to him, so he continued. "I'm really selfish and I-I don't give a lot of thought to anything but, if there is one thing I know beyond the shadow of a doubt," Keiko jumped as Yusuke leaned against her and rested his head on her shoulder, "it's that I love you and...you are the one reason I will always come back." They were both silent for a few minutes, letting Yusuke's words hang between them like a heavy cloud of rain, unsure if the inevitable downpour would wash away all the pain and hurt between them. It was only a loud THUMP from upstairs that broke the tension.

"Ugh! What the hell is she doing up there?" Keiko bit out, pulling herself from the couch and marching towards the stairs. "Kari! Aren't you packed yet?"

Yusuke gaped at Keiko's retreating figure as she stomped up the stairs and out of his sight. He had poured his heart out to her, tried to tell her how much she meant to him...and Keiko had not responded. Sighing, Yusuke hung his head and stared at the floor. Maybe Keiko just needed a few days to think it over?

Upstairs, he heard Keiko knock furiously on Kari's door and yell; "What are you doing?!"

* * *

Kari and Hiei were in the midst of a heated make-out session. Hands roaming, shirts discarded on the floor, both of them panting heavily as they kissed and felt each other all over. They couldn't get close enough.

Hiei had been nipping at Kari's bared collarbone, one hand on her lower back and the other cupping a bra covered breast, with her seated on the desk when Kari had wrapped her legs around him. Hiei growled and swiftly lifted her up, grabbing her bottom with both hands and slammed her back against the door with a THUMP! He ground his hips into her with a groan and Kari kissed him furiously, stifling her own soft cry of pleasure.

Hiei was losing his mind with every little sound she made, the beast in him growling and snarling with the need to mate. He could sense the way her energy was shifting, that Kari didn't want him to stop this time; that she was ready and she wanted him, too, as she raked her nails across his chest and pulled him in even closer with her legs. He was prepared to throw her to the bed and remove that damned skirt with his teeth...when Keiko knocked on the door.

"What are you doing?!"

Hiei and Kari jerked their lips apart, looking at each other with wide eyes and still panting.

"Uh...ju-just a minute!" Kari called back, her cheeks on fire with the thought that the only thing keeping her's and Hiei's 'little pastime' a secret at the moment was a thin slab of wood.

"Well, come on! I'm ready to leave," they heard Keiko snap before her footsteps receded back down the hall.

"Damn it," Hiei growled and laid his head on Kari's shoulder, letting the girl unwrap herself and put her feet on the floor.

"Freakin' Keiko," Kari groaned and bumped her head back against the door softly. "We couldn't have ten more minutes?" Hiei ground himself against her again and nipped at her shoulder.

"They can wait," he mumbled against her skin.

"Hiei!" Kari hissed in a whisper and smacked his bicep. "We can't do that with Yusuke and Keiko downstairs!" Hiei pulled back and gave her an irritated look.

"That wasn't stopping us before," he retorted, keeping his voice hushed as well.

"Cause I wasn't thinking about them!" Hiei groaned and pulled back from her, crossing his arms indignantly.

"Hey! I'm not the one leaving for a road trip tonight," Kari argued and crossed her own arms. She was just as annoyed about the interruption as Hiei was.

"What about when I get back?" the demon asked with a snarl and glared at her.

"Well, obviously!" Kari retorted with her own defiant glare. It took a few seconds for Kari to realize what she had just said; but when it clicked just why Hiei was grinning at her, she blushed.

"You're ready?" Hiei murmured and put his hands on her hips. Kari was still turning several shades of pink but she placed her hands on his arms and leaned into him a bit.

"Yeah," she muttered, not looking up at him. Hiei tilted her chin up with a finger so her could see her eyes.

"And you are sure?" Kari could feel a warmth that was not completely her own rising in her chest as she stared into Hiei's fire-filled red eyes.

"Yes, Hiei. I trust you and I...I want you." Hiei felt his own flash of warmth in his chest as those words came across Kari's lips. She did trust him, completely; he could see it every plane of her face. With a smirk, he pressed his lips against her's softly and then stepped away.

"Gather your things. The sooner I leave, the sooner I can get back."

* * *

It was dark outside but the interior lights of the train gave Kuwabara just enough light to study. He had snatched up all his school books and supplies before bolting for the station, heading to Genkai's temple. Letting go of a yawn, the teen rubbed his eyes and looked out the window. Another chill passed through him, the same ominous feeling he had had all day.

_Something big is in the works. I just have to make sure Yukina is safe,_he thought as he turned back to his textbook. _I can stay at Genkai's until I'm sure they're ok._

The train chugged on and Kuwabara left the city behind him. He wasn't exactly sure what had him on edge but he did know that someone he cared about was going to get hurt...or worse.

* * *

_Author's note: *with a french accent* Hon, hon, hon! Things are getting spicy. ;) The current review count is 152. I will post the next chapter with 10 new reviews. Don't ya want to see what happens? :) Toodles! _


	24. Chapter 24

This whole trip was pointless. Hiei had been in demon world for less than twenty-four hours and he was ready to leave. The demon had barely slept last night after he and Yusuke had arrived in Gandarra, thoughts about what Kari had promised him upon his return circling his head all night; and today had been less than exciting. At the crack of dawn, they had invaded the slavers camp and sent the captured humans off to protective custody while the few demons they found had been brought to border patrol headquarters for questioning.

Fuming silently, he followed Yusuke and Kurama, who were steadily chatting, through the entrance of Mukuro's fortress with a gaggle of border patrol members tagging along behind them.

"Man, I really thought taking out those slavers was gonna take longer," Yusuke griped, walking along with his hands behind his head. "They didn't even put up a real fight."

"You should remember, Yusuke, that just because we caught the slavers doesn't mean our mission is over. We still haven't apprehended Raisho," Kurama said matter-of-factly. "Border patrol headquarters might have a track on him, right, Hiei?" Kurama directed the question over his shoulder at his brooding friend.

"Possibly," was all Hiei muttered, not bothering to look at the red head.

"Hiei," a deep voice rumbled. Kirin, as tall and heavily armored as ever, rounded the corner. His eyes were merely slits, glowing through his helmet menacingly, and the boys stopped in their tracks as his colossal form blocked the hall.

"Kirin," Hiei nodded back. He wasn't fond of Kirin and it was safe to say that the feeling was mutual. Ever since Hiei had replaced the demon as Mukuro's second-in-command, there had been a tense energy between them. Of course, Kirin was an immensely loyal servant to Mukuro, even after the tournament, so he had never let his personal feelings toward Hiei interfere with his duties.

"Lord Mukuro has requested your presence in her study. Please follow me."

"I know the way," Hiei retorted and stepped around the demon. "Why don't you show Kurama and Yusuke to the control room." Without waiting for an answer, Hiei disappeared around the corner and was gone.

"This way," Kirin growled after a moment and turned down another corridor, not bothering to see if the two men were following him.

"Am I right to assume you are the captain of the border patrol?" Kurama asked, eyeing Kirin's back as he followed the taller demon.

"Yes, that is correct," Kirin replied without looking back. "I was promoted after Hiei resigned several months ago. Clearly, training for the tournament next year is more important to him than serving Lord Mukuro."

Yusuke and Kurama shared a look. So, that's what everyone thought Hiei had been up to all this time?

_At least no one here knows about Kari,_ Kurama thought, relieved. The longer they could keep Kari out of demon world matters, the better.

* * *

Kari knew Keiko was pissed. Like, really pissed; so pissed that if she had been the one with the fire powers she would have set their school books ablaze a long time ago.

The two were sitting at the desk in Keiko's bedroom, all their school work spread out before them. Keiko was mumbling angrily and chewing on her pencil topper, glaring down at the pages like they had insulted her mother.

_I really need to talk to her about demon world,_ Kari thought as she glanced at Keiko for the millionth time. _But I also really don't wanna get slapped...again._

"Where is your literature textbook? I left mine at school." Kari jolted from her inner dialogue and watched as Keiko leaned over to riffle through Kari's school bag.

"You never leave your books at school," Kari laughed, the sound a little too forced. "You, uh, wanna talk about what stupid thing Yusuke did now?"

"No!" Kari grimaced at Keiko's harsh tone. "What is this?" Keiko spun around with a curious look...and the dragon book in hand.

_Shit! I forgot to hide it!_

"Oh, just my, uh...notebook?" Keiko rolled her eyes and flipped the cover open.

"You haven't written anything in here."

"Yeah, I'm saving it for...something special." Keiko growled and slammed the open book on the desktop, sending her pencil cup and a glass of water almost tumbling to the floor, had Kari not caught them.

"Well, we can use it to write out test questions for the entrance exam and quiz each other," Keiko replied and lifted her pen, clearly ready to mark up the old yellowed pages with 21st century knowledge. Before Kari really understood what she was doing, she had snatched the book away from Keiko's hand and was clutching it against her chest. "What's your problem?!"

"What's your problem, Keiko? I don't wanna use my book like that," Kari bit out. The idea of Keiko defiling the book with nonsense for an school had lodged a feeling of defensive anger in her chest.

"We need to study for the entrance exam!" Keiko was on the verge of shouting and all the angry energy she was giving off was setting Kari's teeth on edge. The girl had so many emotions suddenly writhing through her, a bizarre mixture of the secrets she had been keeping and the guilt that came with it, that she just blurted out her next words without really thinking.

"I'm not taking the stupid entrance exam!"

Kari instantly regretted her words. As she watched Keiko's face shift from shock to confusion to hurt, Kari knew that she was going to have to tell Keiko everything, even if she wasn't ready.

"What do you mean, you're not taking the exam?" Kari sighed and relaxed into her chair defeated. She placed the open dragon book on the desk again and took a deep breath.

"Keiko-"

"We have a plan, Kari!" Keiko interrupted, her tone going from confused and hurt to angry and shrill. "We are going to university together in the fall!"

"Plans change, Keiko."

"Well, were you ever going to tell me?!"

"Yes, but you've been so pissy about Yusuke since last night that-"

"Do not bring Yusuke into this!" Keiko snarled and Kari shrunk back at the sound. Keiko didn't snarl, ever. "This is not about him! This is about you and me! Just what are you planning on doing next year if you aren't going to school with me, hm?!"

"Traveling?" Kari tried sheepishly. Keiko's face was starting to turn red from fury.

"Traveling?!" Keiko shrieked and stood, knocking her chair back and towering over Kari. "You are seriously just going to ditch me and go galavanting off by yourself?!"

"No! I'm going with-" Kari halted in her defense, the fight leaving her as she realized what she was about to say.

"Who?! Some guy? What, do you have a secret boyfriend you haven't told me about, too?" Kari looked down at her hands; Keiko carried on. "So let me get this straight: you are giving up your future to go roam the world with some guy I haven't even met?"

"You know him," Kari muttered at her hands. Keiko stiffened but her anger did not lessen.

"Oh, really? Just who is it then?" Kari turned her defiant eyes upward and Keiko felt a shiver move through her at the girl's glare. Kari realized she was not ashamed of any choices she had made and that it was her duty to defend those choices.

"Hiei." Keiko's eyes went wide and her face paled at the name. She opened her mouth to speak, sure she had heard wrong, but the words would not come.

"You-...you're not serious?" Keiko finally sputtered out; but the look on Kari's stern face said it all. "Hiei is a demon, Kari."

"I'm well aware of that," Kari retorted.

"He's a demon!" Keiko said again, more forcefully. "How...how can you want to go with him? He's a monster!" Kari felt her flames flare at the accusation and, suddenly, she was standing as well.

"How dare you say that?! You don't know anything about him!" Angry heat was rolling from her in waves but Keiko wasn't backing down.

"How can you defend him? How are you even friends with him?!"

"Hiei and I," Kari's tone turned icy and her next words were spoken low and hard, "are so much more than _just friends_." Keiko balked at the statement.

"What are you saying?" she murmured, astounded.

"We've been together for months," Kari admitted with no sense of remorse. "You've been so wrapped up in your senseless little school drama that you haven't even noticed." The anger was building in her and the words just kept coming, more rushed and fervent than before.

"I want to be with him and he wants to be with me and that is exactly what we are planning to do. Hiei understands me in ways that no one else ever will and...," Kari was panting with all the tumbling emotions now. "Keiko, you are my friend and I care about you, but...but…." Kari clenched her eyes shut and slammed her hand down on the desk, shattering the water glass and sending glass, water, and blood everywhere, "I DON'T BELONG HERE!"

Flames ripped to life in Kari's wounded hand and she yanked it away from the desk, sending a splattering of blood over the books and papers; the shards of glass protruding from her hand vanished in the blaze along with the wound.

Panting from the exertion of her confession, Kari looked from her newly healed hand into Keiko's horrified face. The brunette teen's jaw was dropped and tears had gathered in her widened brown eyes. Kari felt a pang of shame in her heart; she had terrified poor Keiko.

"You're just like Yusuke," Keiko finally choked out in a whisper and the tears burst free. With a sob, Keiko quickly moved past Kari and ran from the room. Kari stood stock still as she heard Keiko's footsteps recede down the stairs and the door to the diner slam shut. A glance out the window over the desk showed Keiko running away from her home as fast as she could, heading towards the river.

"Kari, is everything alright?" Keiko's mother appeared in the doorway, looking confused.

"Keiko and I...we just had a little fight," Kari replied, not turning to look at the woman. "I'll go get her." Kari prepared to turn away from the window and go after Keiko but she froze, eyes going wide.

"Ok...just be back before dark." Kari nodded dumbly and Keiko's mom ducked back out of the doorway.

"Oh my god…" Kari whispered, eyes still riveted on the desk.

The shattered remains of the water glass were scattered everywhere, along with the water itself; but the destruction wasn't what caught Kari's attention. There, on the pages of the dragon book, Kari's smattering of blood was glowing against the yellowed pages. As the blood seeped in, vanishing as if Kari had never sliced her hand open, words and images began to fade into existence. Dim at first but soon becoming more crisp and clear, the book filled itself with a rusty red script. Kari, speechless, reached forward and began flipping the pages quickly, watching as paragraphs and pictures flashed by in quick succession. Kari slammed the book shut and gasped when she noticed that the cover now had text as well.

There, in glittering golden letters above the two circling dragons read the following:

_The Grimmerie of Arai: A History and Book of Spells for the Dragonborn._

* * *

"You've been gone for six months and the first thing you ask me about is the safe houses? Hiei, I'm wounded," Mukuro said lightly, lounging back on her enormously overstuffed chair and eyeing the demon with a little smile. "Don't you care how I've been doing?"

"Hn. If there was any chance that you could be wounded, Mukuro, we both know I would exploit that to the fullest extent," Hiei replied with a smirk. Regardless of the time away, Hiei had taken up his old post at the table, legs propped up and arms crossed. "But if you are so earnest that I ask, then fine. How have you been?"

"Dealing with the troubles of the border patrol, attempting to keep Kirin from letting all the little humans die before they can be returned home," Mukuro paused for a moment, taking in her former right hand man. "You smell like a human."

"That happens when you stay in human world," Hiei countered but Mukuro shook her head.

"No, it's more...pungent than that." Hiei's smirk fell away and he glared at Mukuro.

"Are you insinuating something?" Mukuro gave a small smile and rose from her seat. Walking to the window, she gazed out at her terrain before addressing Hiei's question.

"Sometimes, I think back to that day we fought in the tournament...what you said to me about both of us having something to live for," Mukuro touched her fingers to her bare wrist. "Back then, I thought you were talking about me being your reason to live but over the years I've realized that that wasn't the case." Mukuro turned and looked at Hiei's stoic face.

"When I shattered your dragon, something broke open inside of you, didn't it? You felt something call out to you." Hiei tensed, trying not to show Mukuro that her hunch had been right. He had felt something that day. He had felt how incomplete he was and also...that something, somewhere was waiting for him.

Mukuro looked back to the window, her energy calm and serene as it had been for all these years.

"The safe houses are yours to use as you like. I'll draw up a map with all of them for you." Hiei eyed Mukuro carefully and could not help the small feeling of gratitude he felt towards the woman.

"Thank you."

* * *

Having snatched up the Grimmerie and stashing it back into the depths of her bag, Kari had gone after Keiko. It wasn't difficult to find her; she was practically a beacon of energy.

Kari blurred into sight outside an old musty warehouse by the river. She could hear Keiko grunting angrily from inside so, following the noises, Kari squeezed through an old wooden door and into the dingy warehouse.

Keiko was throwing small balls of her pink energy at an array of glass bottles lined up on a short, stone wall. She was sweating with the exertion of her energy but the girl was adamant that every bottle be shattered by her power.

"Keiko?" Kari tried but Keiko showed no response, only kept hurling her energy at the targets.

"Keiko," Kari said again more forcefully and stepped up to the girl, taking hold of Keiko's raised forearm. "Keiko, stop it!"

"Why?!" Keiko shrieked, her voice echoing in the large building. "I'm trying to train here!"

"Keiko," Kari said in a hushed tone and looked around, "it's not safe to train here."

"And why not? I need to be strong like you, don't I?" Kari turned her eyes back on her tearful friend.

"Why would you think that?" Keiko choked back another sob and tore her arm away from Kari's grasp to hug herself.

"Because...because everyone else is always going off on these crazy adventures and leaving me behind!" Keiko sobbed as more tears worked down her cheeks. "Yusuke leaves me a-all the ti-time and now, you…" Keiko hiccuped again. "I just want to be a part of it…"

Kari sighed and put her hands on Keiko's shaking shoulders.

"Keiko, you are one of the strongest people I know," Kari said. "You put on a brave face and do your best to make sure that everyone knows how much they matter. You...you pull people out of their shells and show them that having the support of a friend is far superior to standing alone."

Keiko glanced up at Kari's smiling face, eyes wide with amazement.

"If it hadn't been for you...I would still be all alone and afraid." Keiko sniffed and offered up a small smile to her friend.

"I've been an idiot," she muttered and Kari chuckled.

"Yeah, just a bit. But let's head ba-" Kari's words stopped abruptly as an unfamiliar energy flashed through her and Keiko's heads.

"Who-?" Kari smacked her hand over Keiko's mouth and shook her head, signaling the girl to remain quiet. Creeping as quietly as possible, the two girls went towards the entrance and Kari peered out.

"Do you see them?" Keiko whispered and clung to Kari's arm.

"No, but they aren't far. Two...maybe three?" Kari turned to Keiko with a smirk. "I can handle 'em."

"But I wanna help," Keiko argued.

"You've used too much energy." _That's probably how they found us, _she added mentally. "Do you have your communication mirror?"

"No, it's in my room," Keiko groaned. "Do we need to call Yusuke?" Kari peered back out the door.

"Maybe, maybe not. I just like to have back up if we need it." Kari turned her stern eyes on Keiko. "Listen, get back to your house and grab the mirror and run for my house; but keep your energy low. Got it?"

"What are you gonna do?" Kari smirked and cracked her knuckles.

"I'll take out these guys and meet you there. See ya soon!" Without letting Keiko protest, Kari ducked out the door and blinked out of sight. Scowling, Keiko stood still for a moment, concentrating on lowering her energy, and then left the warehouse as well. Thank goodness her house wasn't far.

* * *

Kuwabara was sitting on the walkway, looking out to the treeline with a stern look on his face. Yukina, who was seated next to him with a cup of tea in hand, looked at her boyfriend curiously.

"What's wrong, Kazuma?" she asked softly but she knew what he was about to say. She could sense it, too.

"Get inside and close the door," Kuwabara ordered gently as he stood and summoned his spirit sword. "Don't come out until I say it's ok."

Yukina nodded and retreated inside, giving one last glance to Kuwabara before rolling the door shut.

"Why are they here?" Genkai asked as she came up beside the human teen, glaring at the trees as well.

"Dunno but I can handle 'em. You can wait inside."

"Hm," Genkai scoffed. "There's at least fifty of them, maybe sixty. It's curious as to why they aren't advancing en masse."

From the trees, three demons, all thin and scaly like lizards, came forward. The center one, his head exactly like a snake, spoke first.

"We wantsssss the dragon girl," it demanded and the two at its sides nodded, brandishing their weapons. "Give her to usssssss."

"Who now?" Kuwabara asked, dumbfounded. "Uh...you guys got the wrong temple."

The snake demons all shared a look before the middle one spoke again.

"They ssssaid sssshe would be here. That the demon Hiei would not leave her unprotected."

"They mean Kari," Genkai murmured to Kuwabara. "Don't let them escape." Kuwabara nodded and jumped off the walkway with a grin.

"Well, she's not here. But I'll gladly take you guys on!" Kuwabara brandished his own sword, ready for battle.

"No, thanksssss." Kuwabara fell forward at the denial and the snakes moved to leave. "We'll go find her now. Massssster wantsssss her, he doessssss."

"Hey! Get back here!" Kuwabara yelled and took off into the forest after the demons, vanishing from Genkai's sight. The old woman 'harrumphed' and turned her gaze towards the temple entrance.

_You better be watching out for your friend, Yusuke._

* * *

More than three. There were definitely more than three.

_Oh, this is bad. This is really, really bad,_ Kari winced as she ran, out pacing the demons behind her with her amazing speed but the gash in her side aching horribly as it bled. There was no time to heal herself or dress the wound. She had to get back to her house and call Hiei as soon as possible. Or else, she and Keiko would be toast.

"Gotcha!" Kari leapt out of the way as another demon sliced at her with a spear. Grabbing the handle with one hand, fire blazed around the other and she punched clean through the demon's gut. With a shriek, the demon convulsed over for a moment and then fell away from her, dead. Kari threw the spear away and kept running.

She flashed through the park, kicking up dust in her wake, and finally saw her house come into view. She could sense the demons starting to regroup behind her.

"Keiko!" Kari cried and blinked into sight before the startled girl.

"Kari! Oh my god! What-"

"No time for that," Kari shoved Keiko through the front door and locked it. "Get Yusuke on the phone. Now."

"Kari, you're hurt," Keiko tried as Kari began shoving the couch against the door, creating a barricade.

"Yeah, I'm aware. Now, call your boyfriend!" Kari growled. "I'm gonna hold them off as long as I can. Go to the library and put up a shield. Now! Move it!"

Keiko couldn't argue and only scurried away, under the stairs and into the library. With shaking fingers, she opened up the compact mirror and pressed a few buttons. The mirror rang for what seemed like forever before Yusuke's face filled the screen.

_"Are you talking to me now?" _Yusuke laughed from his side, smiling. Keiko just shook harder.

"Yusuke, we're...we're in big trouble. Kari's hurt and...I'm afraid."

* * *

Hiei and Mukuro had been discussing an issue with a patrol group by the northern borders when Kurama came barging in.

"Hiei! We have to leave!" Kurama was panting, eyes wide and his aura was erratic. Hiei felt a chill pass through him as he stood.

"What is it?" He knew, though; he knew without Kurama having to say it. He just hoped he was wrong.

"Demons are in human world. Keiko and Kari are barricaded at her house but we have-" Hiei blurred out of sight, taking off through the fortress with only one thought on his mind: get to Kari.

Hiei only slowed when he caught up to Yusuke, who was just outside the fortress and running as well.

"Babe, I'm coming. Just stay inside and let Kari handle 'em," he was saying to Keiko, who was stuttering on the other end.

_"But she's hurt, Yusuke! And...there are so many, I-I….just please hurry."_

"Yusuke, where are they?" Hiei demanded, easing into the half demon's pace.

"Kari's house. You going ahead?" Hiei nodded and took off, moving faster than ever as he bolted for the nearest portal. He could be there in twenty minutes at the least.

_Don't give up, Kari._

* * *

Kari was doing anything but giving up. She was kicking ass. She ran her sword, courtesy of the super pen Botan had given her, through another opponent and let the body drop before hacking at the one who took its place. A demon came at her left but she was ready, hand covered with pulsing red flames. A swift hit to the chest and the demon was toast.

She couldn't keep this up, though. More demons were flooding her little back yard faster than she could take them out. Also, the gash on her side was still bleeding, the pain slowing her down.

Kari sliced through the neck of a demon, decapitating the beast in one blow, but she failed to see the one coming up on her right. With a cry, the demon shoved a dagger into her shoulder, causing Kari to drop her sword with a shout.

"Imbecile! You can't kill this one!" Kari heard one of them shout to the beast who had stabbed her. Reaching out, and ignoring the pain, Kari clasped the side of the beast's head with her flaming hand and let it scream. The surrounding demons were dumbstruck by their burning comrade, they let Kari scoop up her dropped sword and escape into the back door. Adrenaline pumping, it only took one swift kick to send the fridge tumbling in front of the door. The rush wouldn't last forever, though; Kari fell back against the arch of the kitchen doorway and pushed her flaming hand over her bleeding shoulder.

"I'm...I'm too tired, now," Kari muttered as she realized her wound would not heal completely. She set her head back against the frame and closed her eyes, taking a few moments to rest. Then, it clicked.

_You can't kill this one!_

Kari jerked upward, wincing as her shoulder protested. She understood now. These demons weren't here simply to kill. They were on a mission; a mission to kidnap her.

"This one," Kari murmured to herself and looked to the stairs behind her. "Keiko…"

Kari clicked her pen back to normal and shoved it into her pocket. She had a plan. It was a really stupid plan and she wished she had more time to come up with something better but...she had to protect Keiko.

Dragging herself from the floor and ignoring the pain of her wounds, Kari trudged to the library door and knocked.

"Keiko, it's me!" she called, sensing that if she opened the door, Keiko's barrier would shock her. The energy field vanished though and Kari shoved the door open. Keiko was pacing madly, talking into the small compact in her hand.

"Kari's back! Are you ok? Your-" Keiko's worry for Kari's well being was silenced as knocked her out with a swift right hook to the face. Yusuke cried out indignantly through the mirror, demanding to know what just happened, while Kari side stepped Keiko's downed form and shoved aside the far bookcase until the panel in the wall popped open. Grunting with the pain in her shoulder, Kari lifted Keiko's limp body into the panel and slid the bookcase back to conceal it.

_"What the hell are you doing, Kari?! Where is Keiko?!" _

"She's alive, you idiot; and I plan to keep it that way," Kari growled into the mirror as she picked it up. "Where are you?" She could see the scenery flashing behind Yusuke quickly as he ran.

_"Still in demon world but I'm almost to the portal."_ Kari tensed as she heard a bang from the other room. The demons were getting in. Quickly, she passed to the large window and jumped out, making her way to the park as fast as she could.

"Where's Hiei?" she whispered, trying to keep her cover but knowing that the demons were probably just following the trail of blood she was leaving behind.

_"He'll be there soon. Where are you going?!"_

Kari ducked into a well lit cove of trees, taking care to make sure there weren't any humans around. Kari let out a breath and gave the mirror her full attention.

"He won't make it in time."

_"Kari, just run! We're-"_

"Listen to me!" she ordered, fear starting to grip at her resolve. "I'm injured, exhausted, and outnumbered. I can't run or fight. I need you to pay real close attention, Yusuke." Kari held down a button until Yusuke's protests were silenced. She couldn't hear him anymore but he could definitely still hear her. Reaching up, Kari tucked the mirror into a nook in the tree, angling it so that Yusuke could see everything.

"Get a good look at these guys," she said, turning her back on the mirror and shaking out her hands. She could sense the group of demons closing in and she knew she only had a few more seconds to spare. Sighing, she looked back at the mirror and grinned.

"Tell Hiei to come get me soon."

* * *

Yusuke couldn't keep running. He couldn't scream anymore or tell Kari to not give up; she couldn't hear him anyway. All he could do was watch as Kari, his friend, tried to fight off the advancing demons. He could only watch as they overpowered her, she fighting and snarling as they took her down. Eventually, they subdued her, knocked her out, and, hoisting her over a shoulder, vanished.

_Get a good look at these guys._

Oh, he had. He knew everyone of their faces like he had known them his whole life. Fighting back the rage, bottling it up for when he found those bastards, Yusuke finally resumed running. He still had to go get Keiko.

And find Hiei.

* * *

Hiei sidestepped the splintered front door of Kari's home. The house was in shambles; furniture overturned, the fridge lying on its side with the food it had stored lying everywhere. He couldn't sense Kari's energy anymore but he could follow her scent. From the kitchen, down the hall and under the stairs, the smell of her blood was everywhere.

Sliding open the door to the library, Hiei saw the blood on the windowsill and the open window. He moved to follow the trail as it lead outside, but a knocking in the wall stopped him. Jerking to the right, Hiei grabbed the bookcase and thrust it aside as if it weighed nothing. He prayed, he hoped, that somehow Kari had sealed herself inside the wall and was safe.

Keiko came tumbling out of the panel instead.

With an oomph, she landed at the demon's feet and turned her frightened eyes up.

"Hiei…?" she asked. The demon continued to stare down at her, his red eyes making her flinch.

"Where is Kari?" he demanded.

"I-I don't…I don't know," Keiko whimpered, his intense gaze making her quake. Hiei sneered and looked to the window. Giving a Keiko another withering glance, he muttered one last word before he vanished out the window.

"Useless."

He followed Kari's trail to the park, his face as stoic and expressionless as ever. The scent ended in a small cusp of trees. There were signs of a fight; upturned earth, a few dismembered limbs...and a small puddle of blood. Kari's blood.

Growling, Hiei blinked out of sight and set off to scour the city. He would not accept, could not accept, that Kari was gone.

* * *

_Author's note: dun dun DDDDUUUUUNNNNN! Uh oh! What? What?!...What?...Review...or Kari gets it. ;)  
_

_(Current count is 162. 15 more and...you know.)_


	25. Chapter 25

Three days. Three days of nothing. No leads from demon world, no trace of their lost friend; even Hiei had been missing since that day and none of them could find him either.

They were all together now, at Genkai's temple; all except Hiei, Kari, and Kurama, who should be back from demon world soon.

Keiko hadn't argued when Yusuke had asked her to pack a bag and get on the train. She hadn't really said much at all since he had found her curled up and sobbing on the library floor in Kari's home.

They all felt so helpless.

Keiko was seated next to Yukina; her face blank and her mug of coffee untouched before her. Yusuke and Kuwabara were outside, looking out to the treeline and waiting for Kurama to come back from demon world with any news.

"I sensed something was going to happen," Kuwabara admitted. "I thought Yukina was the one in danger, so I came here."

"It wasn't anyone's fault, man," Yusuke muttered angrily.

"I couldn't catch up to those demons. If I had caught...just one." Kuwabara clenched his fist tightly and his brow furrowed in anger. Yusuke couldn't comfort Kuwabara right now. Not when he was constantly seeing Kari fight and ultimately lose to those demons over and over in his head.

"You're not the only one who failed." Kuwabara sighed. Yusuke had told them all what Kari had done, what Yusuke had watched her do.

"I just feel so...useless," Yusuke choked out, his voice getting tense with fury. Before Yusuke could continue, both his and Kuwabara's heads shot up. There, coming from the trees: Hiei.

The demon looked ragged, like he hadn't even stopped to sleep in the past three days. His clothes were tattered and covered with blood, none of which seemed to be his own. He was walking towards the temple almost in a daze; like he was so exhausted that his body was running on autopilot.

"Hiei!"

"Where have you been?!"

The demon only cast an empty gaze at his two friends. The teen boys tensed at his hollow look. They had never seen Hiei so...lifeless.

"Has Kurama found anything?" Yusuke and Kuwabara exchanged a look and hung their heads.

"We don't know. He hasn't come back yet," Kuwabara offered. Hiei nodded numbly and turned back around, like he was intent on returning to his search.

"You're no use to Kari if you are dead on your feet," Genkai barked out, suddenly appearing in the doorway to the living room. She glared her withered brown eyes at Hiei's back, noticing that the demon had stopped walking away at her outburst.

"You have to rest and eat if you want to help Kari. Yukina!" The ice apparition appeared in the doorway, eyes widening as she noticed that Hiei had returned. "Go make Hiei a plate."

"I'm not hungry." The reply was nothing more than a growl. "And I don't need to rest." Hiei made to leave again and, surprisingly, Yukina was the one to stop him.

"Hiei, please!" she cried and dove forward, latching onto his left arm and effectively stopping the demon in his tracks. "I know you're worried about Kari, we all are. And I know you'll find her but…" Yukina bit back tears and squeezed harder on his arm, "you have to take care of yourself, too!"

Kuwabara watched the exchange tensely. He was ready to get between Yukina and Hiei if the demon snapped at her; but his concern was unnecessary. A few heavy seconds passed before Hiei's stance relaxed and he cast a sidelong look at the ice apparition still hanging onto his arm.

"Ok," was all he muttered and Yukina gave him a small smile. Even in his exhausted and wrecked state, Hiei could not say no to his little sister.

* * *

By the time Kurama finally arrived, Hiei had eaten, showered, and gone to lie down in his room, falling asleep almost instantly. It was just as well. Kurama had no good news.

"Seriously?!" Yusuke screamed. It was just him, Kurama, and Kuwabara meeting now. Keiko had gone to her room and Yukina with her. Genkai, too, had trailed off somewhere.

"All those demons and the border patrol couldn't track any of them?!" Kurama shook his head, red locks waving around him.

"Most were identified with Raisho as their employer, but they have been off the grid for months. No one can find them now." Yusuke scoffed and crossed his arms.

"It was all a set up. Luring us to demon world and then coming after Kari when she was all alone."

"That's right," Kurama agreed. "Did Hiei say anything about any leads when he came back?" Yusuke and Kuwabara shook their heads 'no.' Kurama sighed and sat back in his chair. "That's what I feared."

"I take it from your body language that Kari is still missing." The boys jumped as Koenma appeared in the doorway, removing his shoes and entering.

"Koenma? Why are you here?" The spirit prince looked down at the ground.

"Word of Kari's kidnapping reached spirit world not too long ago. I've tried to track her whereabouts myself but...it's like she just vanished."

"You don't mean…?" Kuwabara whimpered, fearing the worst.

"No, her soul would have returned to spirit world. Kari is definitely alive." The boys all sighed in relief.

"We're still right where we started. No clues, no leads," Kurama mused.

"Not quite," Koenma interjected. "I have someone who might be able to help."

* * *

_ Hiei couldn't see anything in this dream; but he could certainly hear. He heard everyone of Kari's pained cries, her shouts of agony as someone or something was attacking._

_ "Kari!" he called out into the darkness, running headlong into that empty void. There was nothing; no sky, no ground, nothing. Just Kari's cries and his own ragged breathing._

_ "Where are you?!" Hiei called again, turning endlessly in the inky black world of his dream. Kari's screams began to overlap and converge, becoming a cacophonous wall of sound. Hiei clutched his head in his hands. Two glaring golden eyes appeared, set in the long black face of the dragon. Hiei watched, frozen, as the beast reared back with a shriek and plunged towards him, spiraling into his chest and its voice echoing through Hiei's entire being._

_ 'Accept the truth or we can't save them!'_

* * *

Hiei jolted awake, clutching his aching chest and eyes wide. He stared down at his bandaged right hand, completely unsure of what the dragon had meant.

"Good; you're awake." Hiei jerked his eyes to the door as Kurama came in. The redhead eyed him warily, noting Hiei's panicked face before the demon slid his stoic expression back into place.

"What is it?" Hiei said, sliding from the bed and reaching for a shirt.

"Koenma is here." Hiei tensed at the name. "He thinks he knows someone who can help. We're all going to the spirit world." Hiei tugged the shirt over his head and marched to the door.

"Let's go."

* * *

Koenma led the way through the halls of spirit world, numerous doors passing the group on either side. Hiei was stone faced and uninterested in anything but the prospect of this person who could help them locate Kari. Kurama was just as silent and even Yusuke and Kuwabara were aware of how important this little meeting was. They all wanted Kari home safe.

"She's very old so try not to make any sudden moves," Koenma warned as they finally stopped before a small, blue door with two SDF soldiers stationed outside. They nodded to Koenma and gave the boys a leary look before one of them opened the door to admit them.

"Lady Hinata," Koenma said cordially and bowed. The ancient woman by the window, her long hair whiter than freshly fallen snow and her hands wrinkled like fallen autumn leaves, did not turn to them or speak; she merely continued to look out at the Spirit World beyond her prison.

"Wow, this old bat makes Genkai look like a teenager," Yusuke muttered to Kuwabara as they all entered the room and closed the door behind them. Kurama gave Yusuke a bemused glare, signaling that now was not the time for jokes.

"Lady Hinata, we need your help," Koenma implored as he gingerly stepped forward. The old woman laughed softly and still did not turn to them.

"I do not wish to help the likes of you," the old crone wheezed.

"Please, ma'am," Kuwabara implored. "Our friend...she's in serious danger and you may be the only one to help."

"I am sorry for your loss," she croaked, "but I cannot assist you. I suggest you await for her soul to return to this hell hole."

"You will help us," Hiei snarled and bowed up, fists clenched and shaking at what this woman had just hinted at.

"Hiei, please," Kurama begged, placing a hand on the shorter man's shoulder.

"Listen to your friend, demon. I will never-" the woman finally turned her old, rheumy eyes on them, hardened and angered with age, and froze. Her silvery blue eyes widened and roved over Hiei, taking in every inch of his powerful form with awe.

"Lady Hinata," Koenma began again, "I beg of you,-"

"Get out," Hinata murmured, her eyes never leaving Hiei. "All of you. Except him." she ordered a little stronger, pointing one withered finger at Hiei.

"We don't have time for this," Yusuke growled but Kurama laid a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Let's go," the redhead said, looking to his companions. "Hiei?" The fire demon merely nodded and let them all leave. Once the door had clicked closed, Hinata gestured for Hiei to come closer. He did, warily, and kneeled next to her so they were eye to eye.

"It has been centuries since I have seen a true Guardian," Hinata murmured, a small smile ticking at the corners of her wrinkled mouth. "And a demon? That is certainly rare."

"You're from Arai," Hiei concluded and Hinata nodded.

"Yes," she answered. Her eyes clouded ever so slightly and Hiei could tell she was remembering a life from many, many years ago. "My sister was the last Queen of Arai."

"So, you are Dragonborn?" Hiei asked and Hinata shook her head.

"No, of course not."

"But you were part of the royal family," Hiei urged, brow furrowed. Hinata chuckled.

"Oh, is that how they all think it works? That you are just born into the right family? How stupid," she muttered and turned her pale eyes back to him. "Dragonborn were the rulers of Aria, that is true; but they were always chosen by the strongest of Dragons, regardless of lineage." Hinata nodded to his arm. "I see that the black dragon has chosen you. A pity that the white dragon was lost so long ago. You could have been King."

Hiei was stunned by all this new information. He couldn't think of one smart thing to say. He was Dragonborn? Chosen? King?!

"I truly feel sad for you," Hinata murmured, gaining Hiei's full attention once more. "The white dragon was the only companion for the black one. Since you share the black dragon's spirit, I can only assume you feel a vast loneliness for your missing half." Hinata sighed and looked back at the window. "I hurt for you. After all, you cannot find someone who does not exist."

"I already did," Hiei growled lightly. Hinata stiffened, her eyes widening at his statement. "Her name is Kari and...she was taken." Hiei felt an ache in his chest when he mentioned the missing girl. "That's why we came to you. I have to find her."

"You're certain? This friend of yours, this Kari, is the white dragon?" Hinata asked quickly, the old woman's wrinkly hand closing over Hiei's rough one.

"I'm not sure about that but my dragon gave her some kind of mark," Hiei explained and tried to pull his hand back; but Hinata was stronger than she looked. Tears welled up in her silvery eyes and the old woman sniffed.

"All these centuries," she cried softly, her tears slipping from her eyes and trekking across her weathered cheek. Suddenly, Hinata's grip tightened harshly and she pushed herself into Hiei's face. "You must listen to me very closely." Hiei nodded and leaned in so the old woman could whisper into his ear.

* * *

"Hiei's has been in there for a while. Maybe we should check on him," Kuwabara mused and looked over at the door. The SDF guards were still there and one of them cast the human boy an intense glower. "Or maybe not."

"Why do these SDF guys have to be here? Unless she is packing some major energy, I don't think that old lady is gonna try to escape," Yusuke muttered, fixing the guards with his own glare.

"Lady Hinata is the last living member of the Arai Royal family. I'm sure my father wants to keep her here as securely as possible," Koenma explained. "It's not about her breaking out. He's worried someone will break in."

Before the boys could ask anymore questions, Hiei was exiting the room; silent and severe. Not even bothering to glance at the SDF or his friends, Hiei just shoved his hands in his pockets and started walking down the hall, back the way they had come.

"Hiei!" Koenma called as they all jogged to catch up with the demon. "Well? What did she say?" Hiei didn't reply; he just glared at the floor straight ahead.

"Hiei? Did she tell you how to find Kari?" Kurama prodded, unsettled by the demon's silence.

"Sort of." They waited but Hiei did not explain.

"'Sort of' is not a real answer," Yusuke growled, his eyebrow starting to twitch with annoyance.

"Well, while Hiei tries whatever is it that Lady Hinata told him, the SDF will still be out searching. We'll find Kari one way or another," Koenma said, so sure that they would find the human girl before too long. Hiei cast Koenma a wary glare while Hinata's final words rang in his head.

_Once you find her, take her somewhere safe; far from the reaches of Spirit World. You cannot trust them._

Hiei glanced down to his right arm, the dragon hidden beneath the bandages.

_Complete the bond. Accept your deepest denial and you'll find her._

Hiei clenched his fist and glared straight ahead once more.

_I'll find you._

* * *

Minoru giggled to himself as he entered the stark white room. The smell of blood hit his nose like a freight train but his smile only widened. He took in the sight of his prisoner with glee, the sound of his shoes echoing in the tiled room as he approached.

"Oh, my little doll. You look so...delectable," Minoru murmured as his eyes roved over her form.

Kari was a beaten mess. Arms chained up and to the side so she couldn't defend herself, kneeling on the hard floor, and covered in her own blood. She didn't lift her head; she just hung there with her hair covering her face. She was too tired to fight or struggle.

"I can sense your frustration; your confusion," Minoru continued. "'Why are they keeping me here?' 'Why do they beat me so?' Well, my pet," the demon chuckled and kneeled before the girl, his white suit pants soaking in the puddle of blood on the floor. "I need you stronger."

Minoru tilted Kari's chin up to look at him and laughed at her glaring eyes.

"Oh, look at you. Soon, lovely girl. Soon."

Kari didn't reply. She just kept her burning gaze on the demon; her right eye green and vibrant, the left now solid gold.

* * *

_Author's note: Yeah, this one is pretty short but it's more of a set up chapter. Stay tuned!  
_


	26. Chapter 26

"He's just sitting there...How is he gonna find Kari if he's just sitting there?"

Hiei tensed at Kuwabara's obnoxious whispers. Even though the teen was several yards away, sitting on the walkway, Kuwabara's voice could still carry across the yard and to his ears.

"He's meditating, stupid. So you have to be quiet." Yusuke's whispers were no more quiet that Kuwabara's and it grated on Hiei's nerves just as badly.

_Breath. Block them out, _Hiei told himself and tried to concentrate again, jagan eye open but his ruby eyes closed.

_Come out, dragon,_ he ordered into the depths of his mind; there was no response. There had been no response for hours but Hiei was not giving up.

"You think Hiei's gotta use the bathroom by now?"

Oh, he was gonna kill those two morons.

* * *

Keiko sighed and turned off the T.V. It had been five days since Kari was kidnapped and she couldn't drown out her coursing thoughts with mindless sitcoms and talk shows anymore. She had stopped crying on the second day; she had actually told Yukina she was hungry and had a plate of dinner on the fourth day.

_Yusuke and the others will find Kari,_ she told herself for the billionth time and she even kind of believed it.

'_Hiei and I are so much more than just friends.'_

Keiko stiffened and even blushed a bit as Kari's words rang in her head. She had forgotten most of the massive fight they had had but now it was all coming back.

_If Hiei cares about Kari as much as she does him… he must be devastated. _Keiko shook the notion away. She couldn't carry on thinking about Kari's love life at a time like this! However, as soon as the girl came home…; oh, there would be questions.

Keiko pushed those thoughts away and decided that if she couldn't watch anymore T.V., she could at least be productive. She trotted to her room, intent on grabbing her school books and studying. If thoughts of Kari weren't going to just disappear from her head, she would force them out with cold hard facts.

Marching into the room, Keiko snatched up her backpack and began shuffling through it. No books, though; just clothes and her travel toiletries. Sighing, Keiko remembered that she had let Yusuke pack up her school books.

"Ugh! My papers are going to be all out of order," Keiko griped and began to dig through the pile of luggage. Tossing aside her make up bag and her overnight bag, which were too small for all her books anyway, she finally came across another backpack; Kari's backpack. Keiko tensed and put a hand on the satchel.

"Yusuke must have thought it was mine," she croaked out. She could feel the hard surfaces of the books inside so, taking a deep breath, she quickly upturned the bag. Papers and books spilled out across the bed, making a mess. Lastly, a thick, leather bound book dropped from the bag and Keiko eyed it suspiciously. That wasn't one of hers. Keiko picked up the book and flipped it over, eyes going wide when she saw the circling dragons on the cover. This was Kari's weird notebook that she had gotten all defensive over.

"There….there wasn't writing on this last time," Keiko reasoned as she read the title over and over. "I wonder…" she flipped the tome open to the first page and read:

_This volume belongs to the soul whom has revealed its sacred words through the admittance of a long hidden truth and the spilling of chosen blood. They are of the Dragonborn and, as such, hold the power of dragons themselves. All the strength, all the magic, and all the responsibility of those powers now rest on their shoulders._

_Treat this grimmerie with reverence and respect._

Shaking, Keiko flipped to the next page...and the next page. She skimmed passages and passages, letting the words fly past her eyes in a steady rush. Finally, she slammed the book shut and bolted from her room.

"Yusuke!" she cried as she skidded around the corner, holding the book tight against her chest. She barreled back through the living room, panting. "Yusuke!" Keiko jolted out of the door and almost ran smack dab into her boyfriend.

"Keiko, what's wrong?" Yusuke asked, checking her for injuries, but Keiko shook him off.

"Where's Hiei?!" Keiko didn't wait for his answer. She could see Hiei over Yusuke's shoulder, sitting on the ground with his back to them only a few yards from the temple.

"Hiei!" she called and shot past Yusuke, running towards the demon. It was only as she stopped next to him and Hiei turned a fearful red eyed glare on her, that Keiko remembered just how much he really scared her. Bowing her head low, she thrust the book out at him with both hands.

"What's this?" Keiko felt the book being tugged from her grasp and she let it go, still not looking at Hiei.

"It's Kari's. She had it at my house. But there wasn't writing in it before!" Keiko finally managed a glance at Hiei. His eyes were wide as he flipped through the book himself, much like she had only a few moments before.

"Does this help?" Hiei stood, not taking his eyes from the pages, and began to walk into the forest.

"Maybe," was all he said in reply.

"Kari really cares about you," Keiko blurted out at Hiei's retreating back. The demon tensed, his head picking up and stopping his advancement into the woods. "And...I think you care about her, too. So, make sure you bring her home."

Hiei cast a glance back at Keiko's determined face. With a soft grunt of understanding, Hiei faced back to the front and blinked out of sight. A wind picked up, ruffling Keiko's hair as she looked out to the trees beyond.

She believed that if anyone could find Kari, it was Hiei.

* * *

It was over. For now.

Kari dared a sigh of relief as the demoness, Rukia, slammed the door behind her and left the girl alone. Flaring the least amount of energy she could, Kari set the largest of the sharp thorns in her skin ablaze. The foliage fell away in puffs of ash, leaving only their bleeding wounds behind.

_I can't keep this up much longer_, Kari thought as her vision swam before her. She didn't know how long she had been here, much less the last time she had showered or eaten something besides the stale bread and water they fed to her every once in a while. Glancing up at her shackled wrists, Kari gave them a testing tug. The chainlinks clinked, sturdy as ever. Even if she had enough energy, she didn't know if she could melt them. If only she had a saw or a blowtorch.

_Check your pocket._

Kari shook her head weakly. She was so tired she was hearing voices. She had to be going mad with pain or exhaustion or hunger. How else could she explain this weird voice popping in her head or the bizarre white ghost thing she kept seeing? Kari couldn't care right now about voices and blurry white figures. Her eyelids were getting heavy and she was ready to surrender to the pain-free darkness.

_Check your pocket, _the voice protested. Kari groaned and glared at the floor before her.

"If it will shut you up," she ground out and twisted her lower body, letting her shredded school skirt twirl for a brief moment. Kari perked up as she felt something tap against her thigh from inside her pocket. Twisting again, she tried to jimmy the object out with her movements. Finally, the pink super pen slipped out and clattered to the tiled floor noisily.

Kari stared down at the item, amazed that no one had thought to check her pockets when they had taken her. A wicked grin spread across her face and she made to reach for the pen...only for her arm to stop way too short. Growling, Kari glared up at the chains with distaste. How was she supposed to use the pen if she couldn't reach the damn thing?!

Blinking with another brilliant plan, Kari slipped off a shoe and let her blood soaked sock evaporate with a flare of energy. Maneuvering as carefully as possible, Kari shifted until her toes tapped against the side of the pen. Dragging it over, she thought about what would help her the most. She gave the pen a click with her big toe and it 'poofed' into a very sharp looking dagger.

_I've got one shot at this,_ Kari thought and wedged the handle of the dagger between her toes. Looking up at the chains on her right hand, Kari gave herself a silent countdown before jerking her leg up and sending the dagger flying above her and straight at the chains. The dagger made contact, severing two links and letting Kari's arm fall free.

"Oh yeah! Who is the coolest?!," Kari gloated and picked herself up, fighting away her dizziness. Prying the dagger from the wall, she hacked away the other chains and re-clicked the pen. The dagger elongated into her sword and Kari smirked. She was getting out.

* * *

Kari prowled down the corridor, keeping her energy low and silently thanking the gods that the demons had not been cautious enough to lock the door behind them. Now, all she had to do was find the exit and get mov-

"Hey! Stop, you!" Kari groaned and jerked around. Three demons were charging towards her; obviously, they were intent on taking her back to that crazy torture cell.

"Not today, boys." Kari leapt forward with her sword raised and stabbed clean through the first demon, a spray of blood coming from between its lips. Jerking her sword back, she turned on the other two and made mincemeat out of them quickly. Kari was just starting to realize how much stronger she felt than usual when an alarm began to blare overhead.

Deciding she could worry about it later, she began to sprint down the hall; hacking at demons as they came at her. Kari was starting to wear down, her sword getting heavy in her hands, as she turned a corner. She didn't have a chance to react as a massive fist collided with her gut and sent her flying back into the wall behind her, sword clattering to the floor. Gasping for air, Kari squeaked in surprise as two paws grabbed her by the throat and hoisted her off the floor.

"Going somewhere?" Raisho growled into her face, his sick grin showing off his rows of sharp teeth. He squeezed on Kari's throat, choking the girl and watching as he eyes started to bulge from the pressure.

"Raisho! Drop her!" a voice barked from behind. Raisho sighed and obeyed, letting Kari drop to the floor, gasping and coughing for air. The demon turned to face Minoru and Kichiro, who had shouted the command. Raisho noted that his master did not seem pleased.

"The little bitch was trying to escape. She killed several of my men and-" Minoru held up a hand, silencing the demon's argument. Kari glanced up, her left golden eye glinting in the light, and scowled at the trio.

"It seems my little doll merely wanted to walk about and stretch her legs. No doubt your men were too rough on her," Minoru replied with a smirk. Kari growled low, glaring at the pale creature. Minoru bent over at the waist and retrieved Kari's fallen sword, clicking the pen top experimentally and watching as it poofed back to normal.

"An interesting choice of weapon. Certainly spirit world technology." Minoru took the pen in both hands and snapped it deftly, letting the pieces and the last bit of Kari's chances to escape fall to the floor. "Come along, pet. It is time I show you something."

Minoru turned back and began walking away. Raisho moved to drag Kari up by her arm but the girl knocked his hand away and pulled herself up. She moved to follow Minoru, limping a bit, and Raisho and Kichiro fell in behind her.

They turned left down a long corridor with ceiling high windows on one side, showing the desolate land beyond and the red sky of demon world. Kari noted every twist and turn they took off of that corridor, just in case she could somehow escape again. She didn't really think she would last long in demon world at her present levels but better safe than sorry.

Minoru finally halted in front of two massive doors, dark blue against the pale gray walls. He cast a grin back at the girl, his gray eyes glinting madly, and shoved open one of the doors. Kari gingerly stepped in behind him and balked.

"This," Minoru swept his hand out to show off the room " is our army."

The room was like an airline hanger; it went on what seemed forever and every few feet were large glowing pods, standing over ten feet and attached by a series of what looked like roots. Kari inched towards the closest pod and peered through the semi-transparent membrane. Something inside wriggled and the girl flinched back.

"They still need a little more time to grow, much like yourself," Minoru said, stroking a pod lovingly. "But soon, they will hatch and we will finally be able to take what is rightfully ours."

"And that would be…?" Kari asked irritably. The way Minoru kept saying 'we' and 'ours' was annoying her.

"Why, to carve out our kingdom so we can rule, side-by-side. King and Queen," Minoru extended his hand to her reverently, as if he expected her to take hold of it.

"Uh huh. And where exactly you planning on doing that?" Kari ignored the outstretched hand, only just barely fighting back the urge to grasp it just so she could burn the crap out of this wacko.

"Oh, I thought of many places. However, I have found some gorgeous rolling hills, perfect for us," Minoru smiled. "In the human world." Kari scoffed and looked back to the pods.

"Oh, sure. Cause spirit world is just gonna let you do that," Kari laughed and knocked against the pod, watching it quiver. "How many of these little cabbage patch kids you got?"

"More than one hundred thousand." Kari grinned and looked back to the demon.

"I really hope you got another plan 'cause your little green house band here ain't gonna cut it." Minoru merely smiled wider and stepped closer to her. Kari jerked away as he tried to smooth away a lock of hair from her shoulder.

"Oh, my dearest one. Spirit world will pose no threat once you take them out."

"What makes you think I'm capable of or even want to do something like that?" Kari bit back. Minoru moved behind her, still smiling and eyeing her form.

"Because I've grown up with legends of the white dragon. I know what you are truly capable of," Minoru laid his hands on her shoulders and leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "and I have ways of making you obey."

Kari gulped, feeling fear claw into her chest at the feel of his cold hands on her. Oh, this was not good. She was in trouble. The world was in trouble.

_Hiei, you better get here soon._

* * *

Deep in Genkai's forest, Hiei was still flipping angrily through the book. It was insane what all this book contained. Stories of founding of Arai, the first dragons, incantations and spells for just about anything. Well, anything except tracking Kari or bonding to his dragon like Hinata had told him to do.

Hiei growled and skimmed back through, sure he was missing something. He came upon the first page and read it again.

"Long hidden truth?" Hiei questioned. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Hiei thought back to Hinata and what the old woman had said. "Accept your...what the hell?!" he growled and chucked the book away. Meditating and reading was getting him no where.

Hiei glared down at his right arm and swiftly began undoing the bandages. If the dragon wouldn't talk to him then he was just going to summon it. Black flames flared to life in his hand and Hiei could feel the pull on his spirit energy.

"Come...out…" he grunted as the flames grew and the sky began to darken. The ground shifted and broke at his feet, his power too great for this world. Hiei yelled as it all became too much and the dragon erupted from his arm into the sky. Hiei panted as the beast shrieked and roared, watching it twist and writhe in the air. Finally, the beast caught sight of him and bolted at the demon. Hiei was ready. Just as the dragon came at him, the demon put out his hands and grabbed hold of it's flaming horns. The beast roared again and pushed, causing Hiei to slid backwards; his grip never lessened.

"What is it you want, Hiei?!" the dragon screamed, it's golden eyes shifting and flaring in its blazing face. "Why do you fight?!"

"I...have to...find Kari," Hiei ground out as he struggled against the dragon.

"She is but a human. She is expendable. She is worthless!" the dragon retorted, snarling and snapping, but Hiei held tight.

"That's not true!" the demon argued. His mind flashed with images of Kari. Training, running, laughing, kissing; the way she felt in his arms and the way her smile lit up her face. Her power and her fragility; the way she smelled or spoke. It all came to him in one huge wave.

"What is that human to you? Why is she worth saving?" the dragon's voice penetrated Hiei's mind. "What is she?!"

"Kari is everything!" Hiei shouted. He felt a surge of power course through him and he jerked the dragon roughly to the side, making the beast's head collide with the earth and send up a cloud of dust. The dragon's black flames roared up Hiei's arms, throwing the demon off the beast and onto his back. The fire licked and seared across his skin, all the way to his shoulders, his collarbone, and finally, and down his chest. His shirt went up in smokes as the fire devoured him. A moment later, it was over. The fire was gone and Hiei was left staring up at the blue sky above, panting and a tingly feeling all over.

"You are a very stubborn demon." Hiei grunted and sat up. The dragon was no longer a beast of fiery destruction, nor was it merely a translucent wisp of energy. The black dragon was very real and solid, the sunshine glinted off its scales and black flames flared from its nostrils as it huffed.

"Never have I had a host who took so long to bond with me." The dragon appraised Hiei with one golden eye and seemed pleased. "At least you are a full fledged Guardian now."

Hiei looked down to examine his right arm and his eyes widened. The dragon mark he had had for so many years now was still there, but many other strange tattoos had appeared as well. Hiei followed the twisting and turning marks, sharp like spikes, up his arm and noticed they continued across his chest and down his other arm. The only spot that remained bare was a small circle of flesh on the inside of his left wrist.

The dragon nudged Hiei's shoulder, garnering his attention. Hiei turned his head to the beast and laid his palm on its nose, the two creatures looking the other in the eyes.

"Let's go get Kari," Hiei said, smirking as he felt his new strength taking root in his core. The dragon revealed its teeth in a toothy grin and glowed for a moment under Hiei's hand. The glow shifted and wavered before being absorbed into Hiei's arm, leaving no trace of the beast.

_I will show you the way, _the dragon's voice, clear as ever, bounced in his head.

Hiei stood, grabbed up the dragon book, and made his way back to the temple. As he walked, Hiei realized he had one question.

"What is your name?" he asked aloud, knowing that the dragon could hear him. He heard the beast scoff in his head.

_I...am Cetus._

* * *

_Author's note: A little longer, this chapter is. Close to the ending...we are. ;) News this big could only be said with a Yoda voice. Haha! Next chapter coming at ya soon! Please R&amp;R (read and REVIEW!) Ta-ta!  
_


	27. Chapter 27

Kari trudged back through the door of her dismal white tiled room with Rukia and Minoru right behind her.

"I see the maid has been by," Kari grumbled. All the blood and the broken chains had been cleaned away in the time she had been out. She heard Minoru chuckle from behind her and Kari suppressed a shudder.

"My little doll is so very funny." God, Kari hated all these pet names. She silently wished Minoru would just leave so she could try to sleep. Her little escape fiasco and the trek to the pod garden had worn her tired body out even more.

"If she has time for jokes, then the girl must be ready for another round," Rukia advised, her voice sultry but venomous. Kari tensed and looked over her shoulder, trying not to seem afraid. She couldn't take anymore 'training' right now; it would kill her.

"Not now, Rukia," Minoru soothed and turned the demoness towards the door by her shoulder. "My pet has had enough for one day."

If Kari didn't hate this bastard so much she could have almost thanked him. However, Minoru did not follow Rukia out of the room. He merely shut the door behind her and turned back to Kari. The human girl flinched back. Minoru's gray eyes were too cheerful, his smile widening and showing off his elongated fangs.

"I have been so very patient," Minoru murmured huskily and took a step towards her. Kari shuffled back until she felt the wall behind her. Minoru kept coming.

"Your scent is so...intoxicating. I can't stand it anymore."

Kari tried to summon her flames to her hand but she barely got a spark. She was too tired to fight and there was no where to run. Her mind raced with thoughts of what Minoru might do to her and Kari found herself stock still with fear.

Kari squeezed her eyes shut as Minoru finally came to tower over her. She flinched again as she felt his lips brush along her jaw and down her neck. Every fiber of her being was screaming in revulsion as he trailed his way across her shoulder and, lifting her hand, down to her right wrist. Kari peaked down and saw him nuzzle against her forearm for a moment, lovingly.

"Just a little...taste." Minoru bit savagely into the flesh of Kari's arm and the girl cried out in pain. Kari twisted and fought against the demon but she was too weak to stop him. Minoru moaned as he sucked on her wound, his eyes clenched tight with pleasure. Kari felt her legs tremble as her last little supply of spirit energy waned. As they finally gave out, Minoru caught her with his free arm and tore away from his ministrations long enough to look into her dazed face. Her blood was all over his lips and some even dribbled down his chin.

"Delicious," he smiled, his fangs dripping red, before he returned to her arm and resumed his drinking.

Kari's head lolled to the side, her energy being sucked from her arm like a kid's juice box. Her eyelids were getting heavy and she could have sworn she saw a long, pale face floating, wispy like fog, in front of her.

* * *

"We told you morons, we don't know anything!"

Keiko could hear Yusuke screaming from inside. One of those soldiers, the Spirit Defense Force, made some comment but Keiko couldn't make it out.

They had just appeared, ten of them in armored uniforms, and begun demanding that they tell them everything they knew about Kari's kidnapping. Kuwabara had pushed Keiko and Yukina into the temple but that didn't mean Keiko couldn't listen at the door. Yukina was by her side, ear pressed against the screen as well.

"Certainly you don't believe we would still be here if we had any idea where our friend was." That was Kurama, voice cool and calm but laced with a layer of venom.

"You all may be here, but where is the demon Hiei? We have been informed he spoke with the prisoner Hinata and she may have given him information in locating the girl." The two girls shared a look, one worried and one apprehensive.

Keiko wasn't sure what the SDF soldier was talking about but she hoped Hiei had figured out how to find Kari with the help of the book and gone on. Suddenly, the other door to the room slid open and Keiko balked.

"Hiei?" Yukina asked as she took in the demon's new marked up chest. Hiei held a finger to his lips and crossed the room. Keiko was still wide eyed, watching him as he peered through the crack in the screen.

"How many?" he asked, his voice hushed and the questions directed at Yukina.

"Ten. They've been asking about Kari," Yukina answered quietly, still staring at him.

"What did you do?" Keiko whispered, finally overcoming her shock. Hiei cast her a withering glance, obviously not interested in answering questions. Keiko flinched back as he thrust out a hand to her, offering her the book. Gently, she took the book into her own hands.

"Hide that. And keep it safe." She looked up at the demon, his red eyes glowing and the marks covering him severe against his pale skin. Keiko nodded and clutched the book to her chest.

Without another word, Hiei slid the door open and stepped out to face the SDF.

* * *

"We are here on orders of his royal majesty, King Yama. The king, in his infinite wisdom, believes that the demon responsible for kidnapping your human friend may be conspiring against the spirit world. It is our sworn duty-"

"We already said we don't know anything!" Kuwabara screeched, cutting of the soldier. "If we knew where to find Kari, we would tell you but-"

"I know where to find her." The entire group jerked to the door as Hiei came out of the temple and, collectively, they gasped.

"Holy hell!" Yusuke cried, shocked.

"Hiei! What…? How…?" Kurama was dumbfounded as he looked over his friend.

"I order you to tell us wha-"

"I do not take orders from you," Hiei snarled, clenching his fists and black fire bursting to life along his knuckles. The SDF squad all flinched backwards at the display. Hiei smirked at their cowardice and let the flames settle.

"I am going to get her. If you idiots have another mission, I suggest you stay out of my way," Hiei stated bluntly before turning to his friends. "You three: let's go."

Yusuke and Kurama nodded instantly following their friend as he set off towards the trees. Kuwabara balked after them for a moment, still stunned at Hiei's drastic change, but then he, too, scampered after them.

"Hiei!" the demon glanced back at the SDF soldier who had called. "We will accompany you. I swear we will carry out our duty and nothing more." Hiei sneered and continued on.

"Do what you want."

* * *

"It will be so beautiful, our new kingdom. The little humans will revere you as a goddess and I their benevolent god." Minoru had started prattling on about his grand dreams not long after he had stopped feeding from Kari's arm. He was seated against the white tile wall and stroking Kari's hair with one hand, twining the locks between his fingers as he spoke. The girl, so weak she couldn't even lift her head, had not been able to protest as Minoru had arranged her head on his knee and began his ramblings. In all truth, Kari could barely hear his words at all. They were nothing more than a muffled rumbling in her ears.

It was the other voice Kari couldn't ignore.

_Stay awake. Stay awake. Find the door. Find the door._

The voice had been whispering those two sentences to her for the past hour, just loud enough to keep Kari from letting her eyes slide closed. She had tried to concentrate, she really had; but every time she thought she could see the white door wavering into existence, it would disappear again.

_You have to open it. Open the door, please!_

Kari tried again, trying to envision the white door from her dreams. The floating white trail of energy was back, circling the room, but Minoru didn't seem to notice. Slowly, a block began to take shape with the energy. It settled little by little until Kari could just make out the writhing shapes and the shining golden door handle.

_That's it! Now, tell me. Tell me how you fe-_

"Master!" Raisho came bursting through the chamber door and the carefully formed door and the voice vanished in a wisp of white.

"Can't you see I am enjoying some personal time with my little doll?" Minoru bit out, irritated that his little petting session had been interrupted. Rukia and Kichiro trailed in behind the lion, all three of them kneeling before their seated boss.

"Please, forgive my intrusion, Master; but several of our scouts have said they spotted the Spirit Defense Force not far from here." Minoru tensed, his hand fisting into Kari's hair.

"They wouldn't dare come into demon world," Minoru argued.

"They are being led by Raizen's heir. That boy, Yusuke Urameshi." Kari's ears perked up as the name worked through her hazy mind.

"Yes, and those friends of his. Kurama and Hiei," Rukia added, her voice cold.

_Hiei,_ Kari thought, letting his name ring through her head for just a moment. She felt a small spread of warmth flow into her chest.

"What should we do, Master?" Kichiro asked, brown eyes hopeful and trusting in his master. Minoru stroked his chin thoughtfully and grinned.

"Rukia," he pointed to the demoness, "stall those boys a while. The walkers should be fine to use." Rukia smiled and stood, fisting a hand over her heart.

"My pleasure," she murmured and sashayed from the room.

"Raisho, you will watch my pet. She has a special assignment." Kari winced as Minoru turned her head to look at him. The demon's eyes were lit with mirth as he stroked her cheek.

"My little queen," he cooed at her. "You are so close to reaching your full potential. I think you just need one more little push." Minoru reached to his coat pocket and extracted a diamond shaped gem, black as the one on his own forehead. Kari tried to lift a hand to stop him, but she wasn't capable of even that small movement. Minoru placed the gemstone on her forehead and pushed, letting it sink into her skin. The diamond pulsed darkly once, twice. The voice tried to scream at Kari to fight but it was lost in the encroaching darkness. Minoru grinned as Kari's eyes clouded over and the girl sat up.

"Get her some food and fresh clothes," Minoru ordered as he stood, patting Kari on the head. Raisho nodded and reached forward to drag her up but Kari gnashed her teeth at him, growling low and animal like. Her clouded eyes turned feral and her face contorted in anger.

"You will need this to keep a handle on her," Minoru instructed and pulled a length of large black beads from his pocket, handing them to the lion. "She is all primal instinct right now."

"What is she to do, sir?" Raisho asked, eyeing the still growling Kari warily. Minoru smiled and looked to the wild girl.

"Have her kill every last one of those SDF." Minoru waltzed from the room and Kichiro trailed behind him.

"How can I be of service, Master? I only wish to assist however I can," the dog demon said, loyal as ever. He squawked indignantly as Minoru snatched him up by the scruff and lifted the little demon to eye level.

"Oh, Kichiro. My most selfless servant," Minoru murmured and ran a finger against the demon's muzzle. "You have a most important duty." Kichiro's tail wagged happily at the prospect. Minoru leaned forward and nuzzled the demon, smiling.

"I need to feed."

* * *

_Author's note: The final battles are coming! Who will win? Who will fall? Stay tuned to see what happens next! _


	28. Chapter 28

"You sure this is the right way?" Kuwabara asked as he trudged through some tall weedy bushes, trailing behind Yusuke, Kurama, and Hiei. It had been several years since the human teen had been to demon world and, to him, it did not look all that different.

"Of course," Hiei snapped back at him and Kuwabara flinched. He eyed the demon carefully, taking in the crazy tattoos that worked across his back. These were the same sharp and twisting pattern he had everywhere else, but these cut along his shoulder blades and angled down to a point. They almost looked like a bizarre set of wings.

"How far are we from our destination?" Kuwabara glared back at the SDF squad following them. They were a curious looking group, much like the team sent to human world during the tunnel case; a mixture of men and women, all with varying shades of skin and hair. The one who appeared to be in charge was a young man, his black hair buzzed short and olive colored eyes set in a tanned face.

"Another mile or so," Hiei replied, surprising all of his friends with the easy response. The SDF came to a halt, the captain eyeing the boys suspiciously.

"In that case, we are going to go ahead," he said matter of factly. "We have a mission to complete and I do not have time to take the scenic route. Troops!"

"Right!" the other nine chimed back. Their bodies began to glow and suddenly they all bolted into the sky and took off in the direction they had all been walking.

"Hey! Get back here!" Yusuke called after them indignantly.

"Let them go. If they want to die, then so be it," Hiei barked and continued on his way through the underbrush.

"What if they get to Kari before we do?" Kuwabara demanded, glaring at Hiei's back once again.

"They won't make it that far." Yusuke and Kuwabara blinked and looked to Kurama. "There are several large energies ahead. The SDF won't make it past the first one, let alone get to Kari."

"Uh...shouldn't we have warned them then?" Kuwabara asked, looking between the three demons. Their lack of response sent a chill through him. Could all of his friends really not trust the spirit world so much that they would let innocent people die?

* * *

The SDF were flying in formation, keeping their energies low so as not to attract too many demons.

"Captain? May speak?" one young soldier, a girl with soft orange curls asked. The leader nodded and cast a glance at her.

"You told those boys that we were here to arrest a demon."

"That is correct," the leader said but sensed that he knew what she would ask.

"But...the girl is still our top priority, right?" The leader cast a look to each of his soldiers, making eye contact to cement his next words inside their heads.

"Yes. The human girl, Kari, is our one and only target."

* * *

She didn't feel...right. Everything was a haze of anger and rage. Her energy, having returned rather quickly after eating and resting for a bit, was running rampant through her system. Flames licked across her palms in a swirling red blaze and she felt the need to fight, to kill.

_The door_...

She shook her head angrily, growling and snapping at nothing. What door? She didn't recall any door. Hell, she couldn't even remember her own name.

"Let's go, girl." She growled and turned her eyes on the lion demon. She could feel the tiniest bit of apprehension coming from him and she grinned. She blinked out of sight, using a speed she didn't know she had, to jump him and rip his throat out; but her body stopped on its own. She pushed and struggled to dive her flaming hand into the demon's chest but she couldn't move any closer to the beast.

"Heel," the lion commanded and her body obeyed, stepping back and her hand returning to her side. She eyed the chain of black beads in his paw and growled. Something in her screamed, imploring her to take the beads and destroy them, but she couldn't make her body do it.

"I can see how you thirst for battle." She glanced up at lion, snarling softly as he smiled at her. "You are in luck. Those soldiers are here."

She jerked forward after the demon, her body continuing to act without her permission. She followed him through doors and halls, bare feet tapping against the hard floor. Her hands twitched as several energies, ten at least, flickered into her mind.

_Fight...fight…_

She snapped again at the eerie voice, not understanding what 'fight' was supposed to mean.

The lion stopped before a large stone door and turned, offering a sword to her. She reached for the weapon but her hand stopped short as a memory (was it her's?) flashed through her head.

"_Kari! Look at me!" A dropping sword, two warm hands on her face, and eyes; beautiful red eyes._

"Take it and serve your master," the lion commanded and energy pulsed through her head, tossing the memory away as if it had meant nothing. Her hand closed around the hilt while her mind twisted and turned, trying to grasp at the fading memory. It was no use, though. The memory was gone as the lion opened the door and ushered her into a wide room with only one open doorway on the other side.

"I sense her! Straight ahead!"

Voices and energy and the smacking of hard soled boots on the stone floors echoed in her head and the urge to kill intensified. She grinned wickedly, raising her sword and watching the door. The first soldier, a young man with short cut black hair and tanned skin, barreled through the door and slid to a halt.

Her first victim.

* * *

"Holy crap! What are these things?!" Kuwabara screeched, spirit sword arching through the air and at his attackers. The creatures, slow but blood thirsty, screamed as they fell to pieces. There were thousands of these things and they were all flooding out of the castle gates, intent on ripping the four boys into bits.

"It'll take hours to get through all these zombie guys!" Yusuke called out, punching and knocking a group of the monsters away only to have them replaced. Hiei and Kurama were fighting as well, sword and whip slicing through their enemies viciously.

"I can take them out," Hiei growled and summoned the black flames to his right hand, the dragon writhing on his arm.

"Wait!" Kurama called, pulling even with him. "They'll be expecting you to use the dragon, Hiei!"

"Like the cultivated humans at maze castle," Kuwabara concluded. "They want to wear us out." Kurama nodded, agreeing with the human boy's thoughts.

"We don't have time to cut through all these things," Hiei argued, slicing through another walker monster. "Do you have a better idea?"

"Oh! I do, I do!" Yusuke crowed and punched through another creature before jumping in front of his friends. "Shot gun!" he called and let out a spray of spirit gun blasts. The shots of energy arced out across the court yard, mowing down most of the monsters but not all.

"Urameshi! Kurama just said not to waste your energy!" Kuwabara yelled indignantly.

"No! He said for Hiei not to use his dragon. Kurama didn't say anything about me!" Yusuke laughed back and his three friend's sweat dropped. No matter how much experience Yusuke gained fighting, he was still the same cocky punk. Yusuke gave a shove to Hiei's back, urging the demon to go ahead.

"Kuwabara and I will handle these guys. You and Kurama go find our girl," Yusuke said and gave Hiei a thumbs up, grinning madly. The demon smirked and nodded before he took off through the quickly closing opening Yusuke had supplied, Kurama right behind him.

"Ready, pal?" Kuwabara grinned and took up his stance next to Yusuke. They were ready to fight.

* * *

Hiei and Kurama made it through the doors of the stronghold when suddenly, a pained scream echoed through the courtyard and sent a chill down their spines. The two halted as the crying continued and Kurama could feel the hairs rising on the back of his neck.

"Hiei…" Kurama warned as a small tremor crept through him and the scream continued.

"That's Kari!" Hiei barked and bolted for another doorway. Kurama ran after him, following the demon and the agonizing wails of their missing friend. Through the halls of the castle, windows and doors flashing past them, Kari's screams of pain echoed ahead and spurred them all to run faster. Finally, they burst through a set of double doors and came into a room filled with various types of flora and fauna.

"This is peculiar," Kurama commented, taking in the small forest that was somehow thriving inside these castle walls. The screaming echoed all around them, loud and grating.

Hiei's red eyes roved through the trees, searching, but he didn't feel Kari's energy at all. It didn't make sense; where was she?

"She isn't here," Kurama murmured and placed a hand on Hiei's bare shoulder. The demon glared at him but Kurama's face was sombre.

"What do you mean?" he growled at the red head. Kurama gestured to a patch of red flowers before them, their stamens wriggling in their bell shaped blooms.

"It's not her. These are mimic blossoms; they copy sounds and emit them, like mockingjays," Kurama explained. Hiei growled and turned his gaze on the flowers; clenching his fist, the flowers burst into flames and the screaming, mercifully, ceased.

"So, it is true. The great Yoko Kurama is a plant master after all." The two tensed and stood back to back, ready to fight and looking for the source of the husky voice. The grass and trees and bushes of flowers all seemed to writhe with the voice, dancing on the sultry tones.

"I must say, though. It was a delight to make your little friend cry like that," the voice continued, laughing. "Oh, she was ever the screamer. Crying and begging as we beat her power out of her."

Hiei growled low, his energy flaring and the dragon lashing out in his head; the beast wanted to rip into this monster as much as he did.

Rukia stepped from the shadows of the trees, her green hair waving wistfully around her scantily clad self. Sighing, she thrust out a hip and ran a pale hand through her locks.

"She cried for you the most, Hiei," Rukia taunted, throwing a flirty smile at the demon. Hiei cringed, his fists clenching even tighter at her words. "Of course, she was probably delusional by that point. All that blood and her whimpers of pain. Delici-AH!" Rukia jumped back as a massive plant, its petals gaping wide to reveal sharp teeth, burst from the ground below her. She barely missed the attack and latched onto the branch of a tree, throwing an assortment of thorns at the foliage to subdue it.

"Hiei, there is a door behind us," Kurama quickly muttered, plucking a rose from his hair. "Take it and find Kari. I will handle this woman."

"Kurama-"

"Do not argue, Hiei," Kurama bit back, glaring at his friend's stern face. He could sense his predatory flower growing weaker and he needed Hiei to go. "I will catch up with you. Move it!"

Hiei growled but turned towards the trees, eyeing a door hidden among them. He cast a glance at Kurama and gave one parting sentiment before he bolted.

"Make her suffer."

* * *

It was delicious, all this destruction and blood. Her victims fell to her sword, her flames, her strength. She was outnumbered but none of that mattered. These men and women were weak and easy prey.

She ripped into the neck of her latest kill, their blood flowing over her lips and down her chin like a crimson waterfall. She could feel her energy growing the more she maimed and destroyed. Dropping the lifeless husk, she turned her feral eyes on the last remaining soldier.

He was a meek little man, with a shiny bald head and beady black eyes. No doubt he had been a brave little warrior, rushing to the aid of his comrades when her slaughter had begun but now he could do nothing but shiver as she prowled towards him, her sword scraping across the floor in her wake.

"Pl-pl-please...do-don't…" he whimpered and cowered backwards, hands going in front of him. A small ball of energy arced out of his palms and flew towards her but she knocked it away with one flaming arm, much like a pesky fly that dared to buzz to close. The man continued his begging even as she reached down and wrapped a hand around his throat. Her flames roared against his skin and the pain was so intense that he could barely cry out. She thrust her sword through his chest, relishing the sight of the light leaving his eyes and the gentle dripping of his life's blood down her blade.

Just as she was starting to think her fun was over, a new energy popped into her head. Powerful, much more so than these wimps, and angry. Footsteps rang through the hall behind her, coming closer and closer.

Finally, they stopped and she could feel the creature in the doorway behind her, hear its panting breaths. A demon, she realized as the scent reached her; ash and wood and...something else. A shiver worked down her spine and she dropped the dead man still in her hands.

_Missing...familiar…_

Something there, on the edge of her thoughts. She knew this scent, this feeling trickling through her.

"Kari…"

She tensed, her flames flickering in her palms at that one word from the demon behind her.

Was that her name?

* * *

_Author's note: Ok, so I am awful for making you all wait so long for this chapter. It's just...fight scenes are hard. :P Hence, the lack of them. I tried and tried to write them out but, eh. Anywho, next chapter will be up soon I PROMISE!  
_

_Please review!_


	29. Chapter 29

There she was, with her back to him; surrounded by the bodies of slain SDF, blood coated across her hands, a sword clenched tightly in her right one. Kari was very much alive but Hiei could tell she wasn't herself.

The girl slowly turned and faced him, growling low and animal like. The tingle that came with Kari's presence shivered through Hiei but he gaped at her form. Open wounds bled ferociously from her wrists and arms, her own blood mixing with those of her fallen victims. She was filthy and ragged; her usually bouncy, black curls were now a tangled mess of knots.

However, the most shocking thing, the one thing that shook Hiei's very core, were her eyes. Wild and raging, one was solid gold while the other was still that peculiar shade of emerald green that only Kari possessed. There was no look of recognition in those eyes, no warm glow of welcome that filled Hiei with Kari's fire.

"Kari...you know me," Hiei tried and took a tentative step forward. Kari growled again and barred her teeth at the demon, raising her sword in one hand in preparation to attack. Hiei flinched back and realized he didn't know what to do. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Your little human girl isn't quite as resilient as you thought, hm?" Hiei stiffened as Raisho, the lion demon, sauntered in through the door behind Kari. He gingerly stepped over the bodies of the slaughtered SDF and came to stand just behind her.

"What did you do?" Hiei snarled as his hand inched towards his own sword and his eyes flickered from Kari's still ferocious face to the smirking Raisho.

"Oh, nothing too bad," Raisho said as he used one massive paw to swipe the tangled mess of hair from Kari's shoulder. Hiei growled low but made no move forward. "Master Minoru insisted we toughen her up. As you can see, she has become stronger," Hiei's gaze focused in on Kari's one golden eye, "but she was still fighting us. So…" Raisho swept some of Kari's bangs away to reveal a small, glowing black diamond embedded in her forehead. "With this little beauty, she is very easy to control." Raisho finished, chortling as he patted the human girl on the head. "That will make it all the more easier for her to finish you off."

"And just what exactly do you benefit from all this?" Hiei retorted. He needed to know what exactly they were up against.

"Master Minoru has already promised me the throne of the demon world. As long as I bend the knee to him, that is." Raisho tossed his mane defiantly while his smirk grew. "Don't you know? He is the Dragon of the Dark Mountains." Hiei tensed a bit and let the words sift through his head.

"Why does her need her then?" Hiei probed and gestured to Kari, who was still glaring at him. Raisho cast the girl a distasteful grimace, repulsed by her species no doubt.

"A Queen for a King, I suppose. I grow weary of this little chitchat with you, Hiei. Plus, we need you out of the way to keep control over the little girl." Raisho said, picking at a claw nonchalantly.

"Kill him."

Kari grinned wickedly and blurred out of sight. Hiei tensed and had barely a moment to draw his sword before Kari's came swinging at him. The two swords rang as they struck together and Hiei's startled eyes locked with Kari's still raging ones. Hiei pushed her back but the girl continued to attack. They blurred in and out of sight, Hiei defending and Kari pushing to run him through.

"Kari! Snap out of it!" Hiei ground out as they once again ended with their swords crossed, pushing against one another. The air sparked with energy around them and stone floor began to crumble beneath their feet. Kari snarled and summoned her flames to her left hand. Hiei jumped back as she swiped at him, running and blocking again.

Kari's flames were more powerful now, flickering up from her hand to the top of her arm. She had never turned her flames on him like this before and Hiei could feel the slight prickle from where she had barely grazed the skin.

_How do I get through to her?!,_ Hiei thought wildly as Kari once again charged him. Sword, black, and flame blurred in and out of sight as Kari attacked and Hiei blocked and dodged.

Raisho stood with his arms crossed, grinning with triumph as he watched the two battle. Kari was ferocious with her attacks, aiming at all Hiei's vital points; but Hiei would not retaliate with any blows of his own.

The lion's malicious excitement only increased as Yusuke and Kuwabara, the latter holding up a bloodied but alive Kurama, appeared in the doorway.

"What fresh hell is this?!" Yusuke asked as the sight before him began to register. Kuwabara gagged at the mutilated bodies around them but his blood ran cold as he saw Hiei and Kari flicker into existence, swords flying.

"Hiei! Kari! What the hell?!" Kuwabara screeched, causing Kurama to pick up his head the barest bit. The outburst caught Kari's attention as well and the girl jerked her head towards the boys. The three visibly tensed as Kari grinned and abandoned Hiei to charge them.

"Kari! Stop it!" Hiei called and moved back into her path, knocking the girl to the side and causing her to collide with a stone wall harshly. Hiei flinched at his actions but Kari was up again, shaking off the attack.

"What's the matter, Hiei? Scared to hurt your precious little human?" Raisho taunted from the sidelines. Hiei growled and lost his focus for only a moment. Kari took her opening and threw her blade forward to catch Hiei in his right shoulder, causing the demon to snarl in pain as the sword drew a river of blood. Hiei started to fall backwards and brought his own sword up with such force that Kari's blade snapped in two. The hilt flew from her hand. Kari took the chance to somersault over Hiei and keep her feet while the demon crashed onto his back with the point of her sword still embedded in the flesh of his shoulder.

Raisho let out a cruel laugh as Kari dove on top of Hiei and pinned the demon with her left hand wrapped around his throat, the other raised high and ablaze. Hiei put his non-dominant hand on the hand restricting his windpipe but Kari wouldn't budge.

"Looks like your time is up, Hiei. Finish him."

Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama all gasped. They couldn't move fast enough to help.

Kari growled and plunged her fiery hand forward towards Hiei's chest. There was nothing Hiei could do but wait for death at the hands of the girl he cared for most.

* * *

Hiei could feel the heat rolling from Kari's body as she straddled his waist. Blazing, burning, every lick of fire emanating from her screamed with power. Usually such a show of energy would push Hiei to overtake his opponent, to let his dark beast out and win the battle; but this was Kari. His dearest friend. He adored her not only for her strength but for everything that made her who she was. Her smile, the way the sun glinted off her raven black hair, the way she could make a game of just about anything. She could be daring and fun, fearless and caring. She was the light in his dark world. His warmth. His home.

As Hiei watched her flaming fingers aim for his chest, he flicked his eyes to her's, filled with fury and bloodlust. He closed his eyes and waited for her fire to plunge into his core.

"Kari…" he choked out, intent on having her name on his last breath.

But the pain, the boiling flames, never made contact. Hiei's eyes flickered open to see Kari still pinning him down and her right hand mere inches from his chest. She was shaking, every inch of her quaking with an energy that was intended to kill him; but her hand did not budge.

"I said, finish him!" Raisho roared and Kari flinched, her eyes scrunching closed as she slowly rolled her outstretched fingers into a fist. "What's the matter with you? End him! Now!"

"Run...Hiei," Kari ground out as she released her hold around his neck and yanked her hands back.

"Kill him!" Raisho ordered and the diamond on Kari's head pulsed darkly. She cried out and rolled off of Hiei, clutching her head. Hiei yanked the sword tip from his shoulder and pushed himself up. Kari was clutching her head and sobbing, blood dripping from her fingers as she dug her nails into her scalp.

"Kari!" Hiei rasped as he grasped the girl by her forearms. Her skin was so hot he could feel the blisters starting to form on his hands; but still, he held tight. "Kari, fight it! Look at me!" Hiei shook the girl and Kari lifted her head by a fraction. Her eyes were still clouded in anger but tears poured from them. Flickers of recognition danced across her eyes and Hiei felt his breath hitch.

"Please...it's me. You have to remember me." The diamond on Kari's forehead pulsed again and she let out another cry. "Remeber! Try!" Kari shook beneath his hands, fighting for control.

"Kari! You know us!" Yusuke added from his spot in the door.

"Yeah, don't let them use you like this!" Kuwabara piled on, Kurama's arm still slung around his neck. The redhead merely watched with watery green eyes.

"Enough!" Raisho called with an outstretched hand and a snarl. The diamond pulsed a final time and Kari stilled.

"Get...away…" Hiei gasped at that final murmur before her face turned up. All the recognition was gone from her now and the animalistic fury had returned. A growl and Kari swung out at him. Hiei leapt away, barely dodging, and the game of attack and dodge began again.

"Kill him. End him. Destroy him!" Raisho called, irritation and rage echoing in his commands. Kari fought and snarled, blood and tears still dripping from her face.

_She's in there. But how do I reach her?_ Hiei thought frantically as he blurred in and out of sight. He zoned in on the accursed diamond on her face. It was placed exactly as his Jagan eye was, over the chakra that controlled the mind. He knew there was no way to get close enough to remove the blasted thing.

_Why did she stop before?_ Hiei questioned as he tried to reason a way to bring her back.

"He has to...stop fighting," Kurama murmured at Kuwabara's side. The human teen looked down at his friend, confused. "Tell him."

"Buddy, I think you've lost a lot of blood," Kuwabara replied.

"Kari...she won't kill him but...Hiei has to stop fighting," Kurama urged.

"She'll run him through!" Yusuke scoffed as he looked between the ongoing fight and Kurama. Finally, pulling at his hair, he called out to Hiei.

"Hiei! You have to stop fighting!" Hiei cast him a bewildered look, not entirely sure he had understood Yusuke's words. However, the more he thought about it...

He knew what he had to do.

Kari swung for his face but, instead of just dodging, Hiei grabbed her wrist and used her momentum to pull her close. He looked to murmur in her ear but so softly that no one could make out what he said. Hiei pushed Kari back from him, making her slide back on her heels and prepare to attack again; she froze.

Hiei stood there with his arms outstretched. Not defending, not blocking. He was completely open. The animal-Kari watched perturbed but still growling. Her hands clenched and loosened at her sides. From the sidelines, the boys watched carefully, each praying that whatever this was would work.

Raisho laughed cruelly from his place on the sidelines. Kari and Hiei were staring each other down; the former clearly unsure of this new tactic while the latter was oozing determination.

"Has the Great Hiei finally lost his mind? And over a puny, insignificant human! You are making this too easy!" Raisho chortled with glee. "Kill him!"

Kari tensed and sprang, running for her prey.

_Kari, _Hiei thought as she charged him. _Please._ The world seemed to slow down as she bore down on him and Hiei could swear, for just a moment, he saw her hesitate.

Kari swung her fist with all her might straight into Hiei's stomach. The demon gagged as blood spewed from his lips and splashed across the girl's face before he sailed through the air and directly into the stone wall behind him.

Raisho howled with laughter as the dust flew up and the rocks crumbled down to cover the fallen demon. Yusuke, shouting, charged forward to dig through the pile of rocks for his friend.

_He's dead. That beast is finally dead!,_ the lion demon thought gleefully. Visions of terrorizing the demon and human worlds from his throne were short lived however as Kari let out a howl of agony.

The girl was clutching her head once more, eyes clenched tight. She cried out again as her nails dug at the gem stone, intent on ripping it from her face. The girl swayed on her feet and Raisho could feel her winning out over the power of the gem.

"What the hell is happening now?" Kuwabara groaned.

"Looks like killing that wretch was too much," Raisho laughed as he watched Kari. She screamed and sobbed and dug furiously at her brow.

"Ka...Kari..." Raisho stiffened; Yusuke backed up as Hiei, very much alive though injured, pushed out of the rubble. The girl gasped and looked wildly to the wounded Hiei before howling again. She charged the wall to her left, bashing her head against it furiously and bloody fingers digging into the stone.

"Kari, stop it!" Hiei called as he pulled himself up on Yusuke's arm, one hand clutching his side and blood still on his lips. Yusuke moved to go to the girl but Hiei pushed past him with a glare. Evidently, Yusuke was not to interfere.

"How?! She landed a deadly blow!" Raisho screamed. Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock, and he looked from the battered Hiei to the still manic Kari. "She...she came through enough...to keep herself from killing him." Kari growled and sobbed as she headbutted the wall again and again. Raisho could feel the power of the gem weaken and he knew that his time was up. With one final thrust, the gem cracked and shattered into a million tiny pieces.

Kari gasped and rocked backwards as the shards fell to the stone floor. Her eyes cleared and she painfully turned to face her friends. Tears coursed from her eyes as she took in Hiei's injuries; injuries she had caused.

"Hiei," she called weakly as she tried to step forward, only to begin to crumple. Hiei flashed to her side and caught her before she could crash to the ground. "Hiei, I'm sorry." Kari wept as she buried her face into his neck and plunged her fingers into his hair to hold him close. "I'm so sorry. I-I couldn't...I-I…"

Hiei wrapped his arms around her waist and laid his head on her shoulder. She smelled of blood and sweat but he didn't care. Kari was back.

* * *

_Author's note: This was supposed to be longer but I wanted the big fight between Kari and Hiei to be it's own chapter. Stay tuned!_


	30. Chapter 30

Three little words. That's all it took to fight against this primal rage inside her. Hiei's rough hand on her arm, the heat coming from him as he pulled her close, and the warmth of his breath on her ear as he spoke those three words that would send a flood of emotion through her.

"I trust you."

Everything was a rolling mess of feelings and flashing memory as she slid backwards. She wasn't moving physically but she was battling on the field of her mind.

_You have to stop! You'll kill him!_

The voice was back, whispering but authoritative. A white wisp fluttered behind the demon's head but was gone in a blink.

_Kill, fight, kill, fight, _chanted her more feral side. Her feet were moving forward, her hands were balling into fists.

_His eyes! Look at his eyes!_, the voice implored. Her own eyes flickered upwards and clashed against luminous red. She knew those eyes.

Kari could feel herself enough to hold back her punch by the barest bit; it wasn't enough. Horror streaked through her at his pained face and the blood coming from his lips. His back smacked into the stone wall and it crumbled, burying him.

Her forehead was burning and her heart felt like it was splitting open inside her chest. The feral side growled and demanded her to finish the job but Kari found her own voice and fought.

_Leave me alone!, _she screamed and dug at her forehead.

_He's a wretch! He is your enemy! Kill him!, _the mad voice howled.

_He's my friend! _Memories and laughter flickered through her mind. A beaming sun, smiles, warmth; it was rushing around her. Something pulsed through her and Kari could feel her resolve falter.

"Ka...Kari…"

She looked up and saw him, pulling himself from the rubble. He was hurt but still coming for her. His words rang in her head again.

_I trust you._

Her fingers raked against something embedded on her forehead. The mad voice howled and Kari shook against the rage. Whatever this thing was, it had to come out. A few quick steps to her left and BAM! BAM!

She could barely hear someone screaming at her to stop. The mad voice and the whispers were all swirling in her mind as she bashed her head against the wall.

_Fight! Kill!_

_ Don't stop!_

Finally, a snap and the rage slipped away like a retreating tide. Her head was aching but she didn't care. One glance at him and she felt like she could finally breath again.

"Hiei," Kari grimaced and felt her tired legs begin to give out. He was there, though; catching her like he always did and pulling her close.

Kari couldn't suppress the onslaught of tears. She mumbled her apologies into Hiei's neck and pierced her fingers into his hair. Hiei didn't have a heart beat, not like her's anyway, but just the feeling of his breath against her shoulder was enough to let her know that she was safe now.

"You wench."

Kari stiffened and jerked her head around to look at Raisho. The lion demon was furious, clenching at the strand of beads in his paw.

"How could a weak human break that spell?" Raisho threw down the beads and drew a sword from his side, glaring at the two. "Such a disgusting display."

Kari felt Hiei's arms tighten around her middle ever so slightly. She glanced up into his face and grinned. Hiei smirked back at her and nodded. Then, they blinked out of sight.

In a flash, Raisho was disarmed and on his knees. Hiei had the demon's arms locked behind him while Kari kicked away his sword. Flames licked up her from her hand as she glared at the beast.

"Wa-wait!" Raisho stuttered out and grunted as Hiei pushed on his restrained arms. "You can't just kill me!"

"And why shouldn't I?" Kari asked and let her flames move up her arm to her shoulder.

"Yeah, give us one good reason," Yusuke added and stepped up to Kari's other side. Kuwabara and Kurama shuffled in not far behind.

"You...you need me to tell you where Rukia is," Raisho offered.

"She's dead," Kurama said pushing to his own feet but still leaning on Kuwabara. "You best have a more to offer us." Raisho paled and bit his lower lip.

"Minoru, then! I'm sure you all need to know his plans." Raisho waited looking from face to face, urging one of them to show some weak sense of compassion.

"That idiot told me everything," Kari countered with a growl, a fist clenching at her side. "As far as I am concerned," Kari crouched down to his level and glared at him, gold and green shining with malice.

"Your time is up."

Raisho had no chance to scream. One thrust of her palm and the lion demon burned away into nothing.

* * *

The floor was cold beneath his knees but he knew better than to look up. It wasn't everyday that the King of the Spirit World summoned you for a special assignment. In fact, he hadn't been utilized by the Spirit World since the SDF had been instituted several centuries ago.

"You are still a master marksman, are you not?"

He chuckled at the inane question but choked it back to remain respectful.

"Aye, your majesty."

And oar maiden with dark hair and a dark kimono stepped up to him, offering a small image to him.

"This is your target," King Yama's voice growled from above. "Do not allow her to leave alive."

His eyes roved over the picture, memorizing the girl's face. Another oar maiden approached and dropped a sizeable sack at his feet with a thump.

"Your payment. Now, go."

"Thank you, your majesty," he murmured as he gathered up the sack and backed out of the throne room. As the doors closed behind him, he peered into the bag and grinned. Such a fortune for the death of one human girl.

* * *

"So, I get kidnapped and you go to the tattoo parlor?"

"I'll explain later."

"Uh huh. Sure."

It was so weird watching Kari and Hiei chat and laugh so casually as the five of them walked through the halls of this stronghold in the demon world. It was as if no time had passed and Kari had not just killed not only a bunch of SDF soldiers but also a relatively powerful demon with her bare hands.

"You feeling alright, Kari? Sure you don't want to take a break?" Kuwabara offered and eyed his friend warily. Kari glanced back to notice that not only Kuwabara was looking at her oddly, but so were Yusuke and Kurama.

"Do I look that bad?" she asked, looking from Hiei to the others, confused.

"Have you not looked in a mirror lately?" Yusuke countered.

"Strangely enough, they were not all that concerned with letting me gawk at myself while I've been here getting my ass kicked," Kari bit back, irritation filling her voice. She took a hall to her left and continued on, the boys following.

"Oh...sorry," Yusuke muttered weakly and scratched at his head. "Though seriously, you should take a look when you get a chance. Especially with your eye all jacked up."

Kari looked back and blinked, the light dancing off her green and gold eyes.

"What's wrong with my eye?" she questioned. She turned to Hiei, who in turn was glaring at Yusuke. "What's he talking about?"

"Later." Kari scowled at him.

"I'm getting real tired of hearing "later" from you." Kari stopped at another forked hallway and gestured to her right.

"Head down there and catch the next left. The pod garden is behind these big double doors." Kari glanced at each of them. "Make sure you get them all."

"You aren't coming with us?" Yusuke asked and Kari turned to the left.

"I got a little business to take care of," she said and made to leave; Hiei grabbed hold of her arm.

"You aren't going alone," Hiei replied, his eyes hard. Kari glanced down to his still bleeding stomach wound; the wound she had caused.

"Hiei, you're hurt."

"So are you."

"Not as badly."

"Geez, you two sound like an old married couple," Yusuke jumped in with a grin. Kari and Hiei both glared at him and the ex-detective winced.

"I agree with, Hiei," Kurama finally piped up. He was still leaning on Kuwabara but he seemed to have recovered some of his energy. "It would be unwise to take on Minoru alone."

Kari sighed and looked back to Hiei. The demon was determined, injuries and all, that she was not going anywhere without him.

"All right. Go take care of the pods and we'll rendezvous outside," Kari acquiesced and turned back to the hall before her. The group parted ways; Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama off to stop the cabbage patch army and Kari and Hiei to take down the false dragon.

A few feet down the hall, Kari slid her hand into Hiei's and squeezed tightly. Hiei glanced to her and smirked before squeezing back.

There would be time for a real reunion embrace later.

* * *

_Author's note: A short chapter but necessary. I have about two to three chapters left of this story and a few more in the works. Start submitting any questions you may have and I will try to answer some in the last Author's note! _

_Please review!_


	31. Chapter 31

Minoru stretched in his oversized throne with a yawn. The red sunset of demon world filtered through the windows, illuminating the grandiose groom in a crimson hue. The demon sighed and glanced out across his home world; he could see all the grounds of his castle from his tower room but the sight did not please him. Minoru was ready to be done with this world and take his rightful place in his kingdom. If only he could get used to his own damned throne.

Since developing his plans for taking over his new kingdom in the human world, the demon had taken to setting aside time everyday to become accustomed to the massive, black marble chair he planned to rule from. He wriggled in the seat and cursed to himself.

"Why did I choose marble? This is acutely uncomfortable," the demon groused. Minoru glanced to his left and took in the smaller, and significantly more plush, chair he had had made for Kari. The throne designed for his little queen was also marble, albeit white over black, but the seat was lined with plush blue velvet that looked oh so inviting.

"I really am so very generous," Minoru sighed.

Suddenly, the doors of Minoru's sanctuary flew open and a blast of raging red fire arced through the room and light the tiny white throne up in a vicious blaze. Minoru blinked and glanced down to the charred chair.

"You could have simply told me you preferred another color," Minoru half laughed and turned to the door. His smile vanished as he noticed Kari was not alone. No, standing behind the seething human girl was an equally angry demon.

"Why is that abomination alive, pet?"' His question was meant to cordial but Minoru's tone was hard as flint. Kari's flames flickered up her right arm; Minoru could feel her pulsing heat across the room.

"I'm really sick of the nicknames, you bastard," Kari retorted and stalked into the room. Hiei was glaring a hole through the other demon, sizing him up.

"How else am I to show affection for my little queen?" Minoru cooed and swept at his long white hair. A king did not show fear, even to his queen.

"Told you. He's a total wackadoo," Kari muttered to Hiei, loud enough for Minoru to hear.

"I see that." Minoru scowled at Hiei's reply and pushed himself from his throne. Kari and Hiei slid back into their stances, preparing for the battle Minoru was sure to give them.

"Little doll, you have clearly been deceived by this...knave," Minoru said with distaste and eyed Hiei, watching the demon place himself ever so slightly in front of Kari. Sighing, the demon ran a hand through his long locks. "I had hoped you could handle this beast but it appears I, as your king and your superior, must do away with him for you."

Minoru grinned and his palm, having completed its trek through his snowy hair, lit with fire.

"Oh. And thank you for the energy to do so."

* * *

"Oh...shit," Yusuke muttered. He, Kuwabara, and Kurama had finally found the 'pod garden', as Kari had so eloquently put it. Expecting a dozen or so of waist high pea plant type foliage, the ex-detective and his two merry men were rather taken aback by the expansive growing army they found.

"Guys...I don't think my spirit gun can take out all these...whatever they are," the half-demon gulped and cast a glance back to his trailing friends. Kurama had regained enough strength to temporarily leave Kuwabara's side and place a hand on a pod. The creature inside jerked around wildly at the contact and Kurama retracted his touch, his face going pale.

"We don't have much time." Kurama looked down to the root system attached to the pod and followed it with his eyes, trailing through the pods. "There must be a central component, like a...mother pod, so to speak."

"So...we take that one out and the rest of them will just wither?" Kuwabara asked and Kurama nodded in agreement. Yusuke grimaced and looked out to the expansive labyrinth of pods.

"Great. Just like looking for a needle in a hay stack." Another pod began to quiver, the creature inside thrashing for a moment before becoming still once again.

"Let's not waste time, you guys," Kuwabara added, taking Kurama's arm back over his shoulder and beginning to shuffle along. Yusuke fell into step behind them.

_I sure hope Kari and Hiei are doing better than us._

* * *

Even two on one, this battle was not easy. Kari and Hiei were fervent in their attacks, doing everything they could to land a blow to the smiling Minoru; and they did, indeed, issue a bit of damage to the creature.

Kari swooped in with a flaming fist and Minoru spun his focus to her. While the demon's expensive white suit was slowing becoming more charred and falling away in patches, Minoru himself was unaffected by her fire. Kari threw another punch only for Minoru to grab hold of her closed fist and yank her off balance; just as Kari had planned. Kari let herself fall to the side and Hiei came swinging in behind her, catching Minoru off guard and landing a scathing punch in the face. Minoru, surprised by the attack, released Kari's hand on impact and flew back into the wall, colliding into the stone with a crunch. Minoru merely laughed and pulled himself up, grinning widely at the two.

"How...are you...so strong now?" Kari panted out. Her gaze flickered to Hiei for a moment and she could see he was wearing down as well. Their injuries and exhausted energy wouldn't be able to keep up with Minoru for long. "How are you wielding fire? You couldn't do that before!"

"Why, you and my little Kichiro, of course," Minoru laughed, rising and dusting at his destroyed suit jacket. "Even just the little taste from you supplied me with enough energy to control the flames." Minoru summoned a swirling ball of fire to his hand as an example.

"What the hell are you?" Hiei growled. In his many years in demon world, he had never encountered this strange species before. Minoru grimaced at Hiei's question but shrugged; he might as well share.

"My people were called many things. Succubus; Vampire; Soul Drinkers. An ancient species, wiped out with the dragons of Arai save for a small handful." Minoru crept forward slowly; Kari and Hiei sliding back a fraction.

"My father told me of the beauty and power of the white dragon; and of the wrath of the black one." He cast another glare at Hiei but then looked back to Kari, reverently. "I knew we were meant to meet, to rule a kingdom all our own some distant day. I searched for centuries, sampling the souls and energies of countless humans before retiring to the demon world. I knew you would appear to me when the time was right...and you did. We are destined for one another, my queen."

Kari growled and flickered out of sight, reappearing before Minoru and taking hold of his arm. She twisted the limb violently, taking the demon to his knees before her.

"I'm not your queen," Kari spat. "Or your pet or your little doll." Minoru frowned and threw a punch at the fuming human girl with his free arm. Kari anticipated it and blinked out of the way, jumping back to Hiei's side.

"You are nothing but a maniac."

Kari and Hiei both vanished. Minoru tensed and leapt out of the way of their oncoming attacks. Kari and Hiei stared him down again, their energy coming back to them with a second wind.

"We will stop you," Kari promised venomously.

"And we will end you," Hiei tagged on clenching his fists. Minoru scowled and a ring of fire flickered into existence around him. The demon stood and rolled his shoulders back.

"You are forcing my hand, little doll," Minoru hissed. The flames writhed and surged. "I will have to punish this rude behavior."

Kari and Hiei shared a secret smirk as they watched Minoru's flames continue to grow. A perfect plan was forming and they knew they could beat him. All they needed was a little more time.

* * *

Kuwabara gulped as he trudged past another gelatinous pod. The creature inside was jerking about, making its little housing shake as well.

"Are we getting closer to this central pod, Kurama?" the teen asked and flinched away from another quaking pod. It seemed the further they journeyed into this warehouse, the more the pods began to stir.

"Judging by the size of these roots, we should be getting clo-"

A popping sound stopped Kurama's words and all three boys froze. Turning around slowly, they watched in horror as a long, green arm and spidery clawed fingers ripped through the viscous outer pod. A face, mottled green with glowing red eyes, appeared in the tear and the creature began to thrash, intent on releasing itself from its prison.

"Times up! Spirit gun!" Yusuke cried and fired a blast at the emerging beast. The pod creature shrieked as it was disintegrated but Yusuke's blast also ended up ripping into several more pods. More creatures began to slice through their quivering shells, their growls echoing in the massive room.

"I think you might have made it worse, Urameshi!"

* * *

Minoru was growing angrier by the second; which was exactly what Kari and Hiei wanted. Angry fighters made stupid mistakes. Like, using too much energy in one go.

Minoru hurled attacks at them left and right but Kari and Hiei merely flickered away, playing a game of chase with the increasingly irritated apparition. Defense was the best offense, after all; and, should Minoru make the mistake of targeting only one of them, the other would merely cut in with an attack of their own.

Now, Minoru was the one panting with exhaustion while Kari and Hiei reserved their energy. The demon didn't have much left in him. Already, his flamed attacks had begun to flicker out and lose their verocity.

"You look tired, Minoru," Hiei taunted. Minoru hissed and launched a fireball, which Hiei easily dodged.

"Really, now. That's just sad," Kari piled on with a laugh and she, too, leapt away from another fireball.

"You know, for a 'great king', you are quite pathetic."

"I'll say."

"Enough!" Minoru roared but the demon fell to one knee. He had expended too much of his stolen energy; the flames wouldn't even come to a flicker in his hand any more.

"Hiei, can we get this over with? I want to go home." Minoru glanced up to see Kari lean her shoulder against the other demon, who wrapped an arm around her waist with a grin.

"Yes, as much fun as toying with him has been," Minoru growled again as Hiei pulled Kari into him. "I'm ready to end this as well."

Minoru let his hate-filled gaze move between Kari and Hiei, the anger in him growing even more at their closeness. He snarled and shifted to stand.

"If you will not choose me," Minoru whispered, gaining the couple's attention. "then I will take you."

"Oh, I'm so scared."

Minoru screeched at Kari's sarcastic reply and let lose a massive blast of fire with the last bit of his energy. Even with its size, Kari and Hiei still dodged the attack.

Minoru grinned wickedly as the two broke apart, Hiei going left and Kari to the right. The demon's grin stretched open as he grabbed hold of Kari's arm, catching the girl off guard and snatching her to him. Hiei swooped in to attack...just as Minoru knew he would. Minoru tossed Kari away and jerked around to catch Hiei in the stomach with a punch. Hiei, not anticipating the weakened apparition to retaliate so quickly, did not have a chance to block. He took the blow and flew backwards; straight into, and through, the massive glass window. He sailed out into the air and vanished, falling towards the earth below.

"Hiei!" Kari screamed and dove towards the shattered window. Minoru lurched forward and wrapped his long arms around Kari's waist, pulling her into his chest.

"He's dead," Minoru cooed into the struggling girl's ear. Kari panted and fought against him.

"Don't fret." Minoru reached one hand up and jerked her head to the side roughly.

"You'll join him soon" And Minoru plunged his fangs into the tender flesh of Kari's neck.

* * *

The ground was coming up fast and Hiei was powerless to stop his fall. Thankfully, someone else was there to catch him.

Flames boiled to life on Hiei's right arm and Cetus materialized beneath him, spreading his wings and soaring back upwards just as Hiei was nearing the ground.

"Good catch," Hiei panted and clutched tightly to the dragon's horns. The beast sailed back towards the shattered window, his wings beating furiously.

"She's in trouble," Cetus growled as they finally came to the window. It took only a second for Hiei to see that he was right.

Kari was down and Minoru was hunched over her, sucking noisily at her neck. A small river of blood was trickling down Kari's heaving chest.

"Get away!" Cetus roared and swept in, smacking the demon off of Kari and across the room. Hiei jumped from the dragon's back and knelt by Kari, pulling her up. Kari smacked a flaming hand to her neck, sealing the wound, but then flopped back against Hiei's chest weakly. Cetus placed himself between his host and the rising Minoru.

"Hiei," Kari cried and tried to wrap her arms around his neck, but even that was too much for her to accomplish. Hiei's response died on his tongue as Minoru's energy suddenly erupted. The imposter king laughed as fire burst into life around him, flickering out in a circle of hellish flame.

"All this power from such a tiny human!" Minoru crowed and sent the flames spiraling upwards like a twister. Hiei gathered Kari in his arms and leapt back from the broiling heat. He landed by the marble throne, kicking it over to create a barrier between them and the manic demon.

"He-he's...too strong now," Kari murmured as Hiei lay her down and smoothed away her hair. He glanced up to see Cetus attacked Minoru vehemently but even the massive dragon was having his troubles.

"Stay here," Hiei instructed and moved to stand; Kari reached over to grab hold of his shirt.

"Hiei, he'll kill you," she cried, tears gathering in her mismatched eyes. Hiei looked down into Kari's blood and tear soaked face. Sighing, he tugged her hand away and gazed upon the black dragon on the inside of her wrist. He planted a chaste kiss to the mark and smirked.

"I'm going to protect you."

Before Kari could argue again, Hiei blinked out of sight and entered the battle.

* * *

He was getting closer; he could tell from all the massive energies ahead. Looking up, he saw someone come sailing from a window high above. He smirked to himself as he saw whoever it was fall from the great height.

"No one can survive that," the hunter murmured. Suddenly, a new energy, dark and powerful, came crashing into his head and the hunter turned his gaze skyward again.

"Don't see that everyday," he murmured as a massive black dragon appeared and sailed back up to the tower. The hunter scratched at his head as the beast disappeared and heaved a sigh. He picked up his pace, falling into a jog.

"King Yama didn't say anything about a damned dragon," he grumbled.

* * *

"Kurama, not to be bitchy, but can you just PICK ONE!" Yusuke hollered as he fired another round of shot gun blasts at the advancing beasts. If they looked bad enough inside the pods, they looked, and smelled, worse as they hatched. The creature were hunched but fast. As soon as they popped loose from their little incubators, they would begin to advance on the boys with a loping gallop.

"Patience is a virtue," Kurama replied irritably as he studied the roots and continued his slightly stumbly path forward. Kuwabara was slicing away the monsters who came too close but he could tell they would be overrun quite soon.

"Not right now, it isn't!" Kuwabara ground out as he sliced through another beast. Kurama puffed out a breath and continued to follow the roots. Finally, he found it. The control pod was slightly larger than the others, with an array of vines and roots spanning its base. It pulsed with a green glow as its power transferred to the other pods.

"Here! It's this one!" He shouted with certainty and pulled his rose from his red locks, letting his spirit energy transform it into his trusty rose whip.

"Hurry up!" Yusuke shouted and Kurama complied, letting the whip slice through control pod. The ground shook as the pods began to burst and half completed monsters exploded into a spray of green goop. Yusuke sloughed off a chunk of the sludge with a disgusted grimace.

"You could have just said the big glowy one," the half demon griped. Kurama and Kuwabara sighed. Their job was done.

* * *

Kari had just enough strength to drag herself to the edge of the tall throne. Peaking around the top of the chair, she felt another onslaught of panic rise in her weary body.

Hiei and his black dragon were fighting with everything they had but Kari could see that it wasn't going to be enough. The two couldn't get anywhere near Minoru now.

_Hiei_, Kari begged internally as tears streaked down her face. She tried to pull herself up but only ended up flopping back down weakly. She was useless now and Hiei was going to die because of it. Kari let out a sob and laid her head down on the stone floor, watching as Hiei fought.

_I'm not strong enough, _she thought dismally, wincing as Minoru caught the dragon with a blast of fire. The beast withdrew for a moment but unleashed another blast of black fire, which Minoru diverted with apparent ease.

_Alone, you are weak._

Kari groaned as the voice whispered to her. She didn't need another voice to tell her she was not being helpful. Kari gasped as Hiei took a blow to the shoulder and rolled backwards. The demon regained his feet, though. Ignoring his latest wound, he returned to battle.

_Together, we can save him._

"How? Who are you?" Kari croaked out, clinging to any hope this strange voice could offer.

_Find the door._

Kari sighed and pushed herself back behind the throne. Clenching her eyes shut, she concentrated harder than ever before. Almost instantly, the field appeared; along with the massive white door. Kari wrapped her hands around the golden handle and tugged as hard as she could. The door did not budge.

_You have to say it. The truth,_ the voice urged from all around.

"I don't understand. Just open!" Kari demanded and yanked with all her might. Still, the door did not budge. The high grass began to sway and snap at her but Kari ignored it. She had to open this god forsaken door. "What truth?!"

_Why are you here? What do you want?,_ the voice answered her question with a question.

"I have to save Hiei!" Kari argued, smacking away the grass as it bit at her flesh.

_Why?, _the voice was calm, like a knowing mother. _Does he mean something to you?_

Kari stilled, her hands still wrapped about the handle and the grass still lashing at her. The voice continued.

_This Hiei is a demon. He has done many terrible things._

"That doesn't matter," Kari murmured. "I can't let him die."

_Why?_, the voice pressed, ringing softly. The grass lashed harder against her and the sky began to darken, lightning flashing around her wildly. Kari ignored it all and took a deep breath.

"Because...I love him."

With those few words, everything froze. The grass returned to its normal swaying nature and the sky cleared. The door creaked open and a blinding white light flooded through. Kari gaped as a beast emerged from the gaping doorway.

"Finally," the creature spoke gently, its voice no longer a whisper but a crisp ringing tone. Slowly, it reached forward and laid a claw on Kari's chest.

"Save this love of yours."

* * *

Kari's eyes flew open and she gasped. Panting, she felt strong enough to drag herself from behind the throne. Heaving herself into an upright position, she took in the fighters before her.

Hiei and his dragon were on the ropes. Both were injured gravely, blood and sweat pouring from man and beast. Kari tried to stand but she realized she was still too weak. How could she help if she couldn't even stand?!

Kari ripped her gaze to Minoru and her eyes widened. Minoru looked no different physically than the last time she had seen him; but his aura was...off.

_That is your energy inside him. Your flames,_ the voice rang in her head. _You control that power. _

Kari let that fact roll in her head for a moment. Finally, she grinned.

"Minoru!" she called, her voice ringing out and catching the attention of all three fighters. Kari was concentrating on her flickering energy inside her enemy, but she could hear Hiei's commands for her to back down.

"Oh, you still live?" Minoru cackled, turning to face her. "You little, insignificant-"

Minoru gasped and clutched at his throat. His ring of fire petered out and Kari let out a chuckle. She glanced to Hiei's astounded face but then back to the writhing Minoru. The demon fell to his knees, choking and glaring at the human girl.

"What-what is this?!"

"Guess you were lied to, Minoru," Kari half laughed and the demon winced, his body shaking. "You see, real dragons...don't burn."

Kari clenched her outstretched hand into a fist and Minoru screamed as he erupted into a living torch. The demon writhed and shrieked but he soon enough he burned away, even his skeleton falling to dust. Kari dropped her arm and let out a sigh.

_Well done,_ the voice said and Kari shook it off. She turned her eyes back to Hiei but the demon was staring at the ash pile that had so recently been his nemesis. Kari let out a course laugh and both Hiei and the dragon turned their eyes on her. Kari smiled.

"Cool, right? Neat trick I just lear-"

Kari's joke was cut off as a **thrum!** echoed about the room. The world seemed to slow down and she felt something cold creeping into her chest. Hiei's face slowly morphed from confusion to panic. The dragon leapt at the entrance, gnashing its teeth at some stranger in the doorway. There was a crunch and something clattering to the ground; was that a bow?

Kari looked down at herself and finally saw what had Hiei and the dragon reacting so. There, protruding from her chest, was an arrow.

* * *

_Author's note: Current review count is 266. Ten more = next chapter. :)_


	32. Chapter 32

Hiei turned from the pile of ash that was once Minoru. He looked to Kari, her outstretched hand falling to her side. She was panting, exhausted, but still she smiled for him. Relief. It was all over and they could go home.

"Cool, right? Neat trick I just lear-"

It took him a moment to comprehend what happened. A 'thrum' sound echoed in the room and Kari's smile faded. She glanced down to see the arrow protruding from her chest. Hiei distantly heard someone shouting and a sickening crunching but none of it really registered. He was hyper focused in on Kari as she lifted a hand, touched the arrow, and watched it disintegrate.

"No..." He croaked out as she turned her mismatched eyes on him and blood dribbled from her lips. "Kari!" He screamed, flashing forward to catch her as she started to fall.

"Kari, look at me. Look at me! Stay with me!" Hiei cried as he pulled her close, cradling her against his chest. Kari gasped and more blood spilled across her lips.

"I'm...I'm so sorry, Hiei," she choked out. Hiei shook his head fervently and held her tighter. Somewhere behind him he could feel Cetus bashing against the walls, causing dust to rain down on them.

"Shut up. You're going to be fine. Don't give up." He could feel his heart starting to crack from the roll of emotion. He thought if he just held her tightly, she would hold just as tightly to her life.

"Hiei," he looked into her face, swiping away a stray lock of hair. Her eyelids were getting heavy. She smiled softly. "I'm so happy I found you."

"Stop it," Hiei demanded, shaking his head. He pulled Kari closer so she could rest her head on his shoulder.

"We have plans," Hiei rushed on, his embrace almost crushing. He turned his head into her hair and took a deep breath. "You have to graduate, remember? And then, we're going to Alaric. I have it planned out. For us."

"Hiei," Kari whispered and turned her head so she could press a soft kiss to his neck. "I love you."

Hiei stiffened, his eyes going wide. He couldn't breath. Never in his life had someone said those three small words to him; never had anyone valued him or treasure him. This wasn't real, none of it. It couldn't be.

"So close," Hiei jerked his head up at the low, sombre voice. Cetus turned his massive head to the pair, his golden eyes heavy and blood dripping from his jaws. "...but so far."

Hiei didn't understand what the dragon was talking about. It didn't matter though; the dragon had snapped Hiei from his reverie and the demon had a horrible realization.

"Kari?" He couldn't feel her breath on his neck anymore. Kari was so still. Hiei jerked himself back and Kari's head fell limply against her chest, blood dribbling from her lips.

"No... Kari? Kari, look at me," Hiei commanded and cradled the girl in his arms once more. He brushed her hair away only to be met with closed eyes.

"Please," Hiei whispered pulling her limp form close, burying his face in her neck. "Please...don't leave me." He couldn't feel her pulse or hear her heart beating anymore. Her warmth was gone and her energy had vanished. Hiei laid his forehead against hers.

"You can't...you can't say _that_ and just…"

The demon tensed and clutched the girl harshly; anger, sadness, and overwhelming loss ripped through him. His heart was shattered, his pride torn to shreds. He couldn't care anymore, couldn't breath. Hiei choked back a sob and clenched his eyes tight. A tear, his first in his long life, escaped his eye and slid down his cheek, leaving a shining path. It came to his chin and stopped, dangling like a dew drop.

"Come back," his voice was hoarse. The tear fell, shining with a light all its own. It landed just under Kari's collarbone and slid smoothly across her skin before coming to the wound left by the arrow.

Hiei, consumed by despair, didn't notice the soft, dark glow emanating from Kari's wound as his tear was absorbed. It wasn't until he felt a searing heat on his own bare chest, that the demon looked up at all.

"What…?" was all he could choke out as he pulled back. He watched, not fully comprehending what he was seeing, as black fire burned inside Kari's wound. As quickly as he saw it, the flame was gone; unmarked flesh was all that remained in its wake.

Then another glow, this one white, appeared over the same small space of flesh. Like lightening, it rippled out, leaving a trail of swirling blue markings. Across Kari's chest and down both her arms; it twisted and twirled across the girl's skin. As the marks reached the tips of her fingers, the energy flashed back to her chest, leaving a series of swirling silver tattoos all over her. As the energy receded sharply back into its starting point, Kari's eyes shot open and she gasped.

"Oh...my god…."Kari panted and looked around wildly. "I-I...I was…" She flicked her eyes to Hiei and blinked. The demon was speechless. One minute Kari was...and now…?

"Hey," Kari said with a little laugh. "Miss me?"

Hiei crushed his lips against Kari's, kissing her with all he had. Kari plunged her fingers into his hair and returned the kiss just as ferociously. A moment later, Hiei broke away and laid his forehead against her's again, eyes closed; his chest was heaving.

"Gods, you are beautiful." Kari smiled and pressed another kiss to his lips.

"You two certainly do take your dear, sweet time!"

Kari and Hiei jerked apart at the new voice. Kari's right arm glowed brightly, the tattoos turning white and unfurling from her skin. The light wriggled and grew before another dragon solidified before them. Long and serpentine like Cetus, this creature was completely white from nose to the tip of her tail. The beast shook out her mane and lowered her head so she could peer into Kari's face with vibrant gold eyes.

"At least your eyes match now. You're welcome," the dragon snapped and huffed out a breath, making Kari's black tresses blow backwards. Hiei balked at the dragon but turned back to Kari. She was staring at him, just as confused. The green was completely gone from her eyes; they were now a solid, shining gold.

"Rava?"

Kari and Hiei watched in wonder as the two dragon's faced one another. Cetus was sizing up the white dragon carefully, as if he could not believe she was real.

"Cetus," the white dragon replied, her tone shifting sweetly. "We chose well."

The black dragon surged forward, looping his long neck around the white dragon and nuzzling his face against her's. Both creatures were purring contentedly.

"I think your dragon has 'the hots' for mine," Kari whispered to Hiei with a giggle. Hiei gave her a bemused look.

"You sound like Yusuke," he said with feigned disgust and a small grin. Kari looped her arms around the demon's neck and planted another kiss on his cheek.

"You really are a beautiful little human," Cetus purred and pushed his head against Kari's, breaking the girl away from her demon for a moment. Rava was, apparently, feeling the same affections towards Hiei.

"Such a passionate creature, you are," she said and rubbed her snout under Hiei's chin. "You saved my host and allowed me to share my power with her completely."

"What did he do, now?" Kari asked as she scratched a spot behind Cetus's ears that the dragon appeared to like. She held back a laugh at Hiei's expression; the demon was grimacing and craning his neck away from the white dragon.

"He cried over your loss," Rava said and fixed Kari with a look, as if the human girl should know everything. "Much like your fire, a Guardian's tear can heal. With the right intentions, of course."

"Say what?" Kari asked and glanced over to her demon companion. Hiei's cheeks were a blazing red and he scrubbed at his cheek to remove an evidence of his brief lapse. Kari grinned and prodded at his flaming cheek with a finger. "You're so sweet." Hiei scoffed and smacked her hand away before casting a glare down at Rava.

The dragons receded from the two and intertwined their long necks once again. Kari leaned her head against Hiei's shoulder and sighed.

"I'm ready to go home now," she muttered and Hiei re-wrapped his arm around her waist, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"Yeah."

"Do not get too content." Kari and Hiei both glanced up to Cetus, who had spoken. "A greater journey is just beginning."

"Whoa, hold up. I just destroyed a psychopath, saved the human world, AND came back from the dead!" Kari argued. "I think we deserve a little rest." Rava leaned her head back down and eyed the two warily.

"You have a greater destiny in store," she said softly. "Fear not, though. Cetus and I will never abandon you."

"That just makes me feel so much better," Kari grumbled. Rava huffed out another breath, her way of laughing, and cast her eyes back to Hiei.

"Before I forget…" the dragon leaned closer to the demon and blew a small ribbon of blue fire at his left arm. Hiei flinched back instinctively but the flames did not burn; instead they circled down to his wrist and settled into the small patch of bare skin on the inside. As the flames vanished, Hiei and Kari both peered down at the spot and saw that Hiei now sported a small silver dragon marking almost identical to her black one.

"You are marked," Rava stated proudly.

"What are these?" Hiei asked and Kari nodded along with his question. Both dragons sighed and began to glow. Before they could disappear completely, Cetus left them with a few parting words.

"Read the book."

As the last of the dragons' glow vanished, Yusuke appeared in the doorway. Muttering under his breath about 'too many stairs' he fixed the seated pair with a glare.

"Just a heads up, but we have been waiting for you two for way too long. Can't you wait until we get home to jump each other?" Yusuke blinked as he realized Kari's new shining body art. "Did I miss something?"

Kari and Hiei both groaned, the former running a tattooed hand through her hair.

"It's a really long story, Yusuke."

* * *

_Author's note: Short, yes. BUT...there is one more chapter remaining. :) Post any questions you may have in the reviews and I just might give you answers with the next chapter. :)  
_


	33. Chapter 33

The return to Genkai's was a joyous one. Kari was immediately devoured by hugs from Yukina and Keiko, both of whom were sobbing uncontrollably. After appeasing their tears and assuring Keiko that everything would be all right, the questions began. However, the group would receive no answers from Kari or Hiei. No, Kari had excused herself almost immediately to take a shower and Keiko had been waiting outside the bathroom door for well over an hour. Just as she was about to give up, Kari pushed open the door.

"I have never wanted a shower so much in my life," Kari muttered as she towel dried her hair, another towel wrapped around her.

"I can't believe you didn't run out of hot water," Keiko said and pulled herself up from the floor.

"I can't believe you have been sitting out here the whole time. Scared I was gonna drown?" Kari joked and fixed Keiko with her amber gaze. Keiko flinched back a bit, still not used to her friend's new appearance. Now that Kari had removed the layer of blood and grime she came home with, Keiko could see her tattoos were actually far more extensive than she first believed.

"Keiko?" The brunette jumped as Kari began to step around her, eyeing her warily.

"You just look different," Keiko blurted out and her cheeks turned crimson. Kari laughed and glanced down at herself.

"Right? Honestly, I probably spent ten minutes checking out my eyes in the mirror."

"I don't know how you are going to cover all..._that_," Keiko motioned to Kari's arms, "for school. It's too hot for long sleeves."

"Is school all you think about?" Kari griped but Keiko just smiled. Kari gave her a small smile in return. She couldn't fault Keiko for wanting a normal life.

"Oh! I forgot!" Keiko jumped and reached back to the floor. Standing, she offered the leather bound dragon book. "Hiei asked me to keep that safe for you."

Kari didn't move to take the book; she only stared down at the tome with a look that Keiko couldn't quite name.

"Kari?" the girl jumped, apologized, and finally took the volume carefully.

"Thanks, Keiko," she muttered, eyeing the book and turning her back on Keiko. "I'm gonna try to get some sleep, ok?"

"Uh, yeah. Of course," Keiko replied, confused by Kari's sudden change in demeanor. Maybe more had changed than just Kari's appearance. Keiko watched Kari disappear around a corner and sighed. Life was going to be very different for them all.

* * *

"That is mighty rude, you know," Kari joked as Hiei slid her door open without knocking. She was lounging on her bed, dressed in a tank top and shorts, and the dragon book in one hand.

"You know it's me. I don't have to knock," the demon challenged with a smirk and slid the door closed behind him with a soft smack. Kari smiled and tore her eyes from the page she had been reading to look at him.

"Oh? And what if I had been 'indecent'?" Kari retorted playfully. It wasn't so easy to make Hiei blush, though; his red eyes glinted dangerously at her insinuation before he flashed forward and slipped into the bed with her.

"You must be tired," he said, slipping an arm behind her and pulling her close.

"Yeah, I am," Kari replied with a yawn but re-opened the book, turning the page slowly. "But, Cetus said to 'read the book.' I wanna know that these marks are." Kari enunciated and held up her wrist, letting the black dragon on her wrist show.

"What have you found?" Hiei asked, forgetting his lust and letting his eyes rove over the page before him.

"Nothing, yet," Kari answered and sat up. "Watch this, though." The girl focused her gaze on a small snow globe depicting the Tokyo skyline, a souvenir from a class trip, on the chest of drawers across the room. She stretched out her hand, palm up.

"_Veniat ad me_," Kari said sternly. The snow globe jerked from the dresser and flew across the room, soaring past Kari and shattering against the wall behind her.

"Oops," she winced as the liquid and glitter trickled down the wall. "What did I do wrong?"

Hiei looked back and forth from the destroyed trinket and Kari, eyes wide.

"How the hell did you do that?" he asked. Kari grinned and opened her mouth to answer when there was a knock on the door.

"Yes?" she called. The door slid open and the knocker stepped inside, eyeing the couple carefully. Hiei tightened his grip on Kari.

"What is it?" The visitor was silent for a moment.

"I think you two could be in trouble."

* * *

Yusuke and Kuwabara were just about to dig into the steaming breakfast Yukina and Keiko were laying out when Koenma burst through the kitchen doors.

"Yusuke! Where is Kari?!" the prince demanded, huffing and puffing as if he had sprinted all the way from the spirit world.

"The hell?! What are you doing here, Koenma?" Yusuke barked, surprised that the royal teen was there at all.

"I don't have time for questions! Where is she?" Koenma continued as sweat beaded on his forehead and he clenched his fists nervously at his sides.

"I think she is still in bed. What's wrong?" Keiko asked, fear creeping into her chest. The girl jumped as several large energies flashed into her mind. Koenma hung his head.

"It's too late. They're here."

Yusuke and Kuwabara leapt from the table and bolted through the temple; Koenma and the girls tagged behind them. Slamming open the front doors, they were greeted by the austere faces of the SDF.

"You best have a good reason for coming to this temple without an invitation," Genkai, who was already present and facing the soldiers, snapped viciously.

The apparent leader, a woman with short cropped white hair and steely blue eyes set in a dark face, sneered. The soldiers behind her, twenty at the very least, were all tense as they took in the group. The leader's eyes fell to Koenma.

"Prince Koenma, surely you are not aiding and abetting a wanted criminal of the spirit world, sir?" the leader's voice was deceivingly light. "We have direct orders from King Yama, sir. I cannot have you interfere."

"What orders?" Yusuke growled, his hands balling into fists. The leader shifted her eyes to the half demon.

"We are here to arrest the girl, Kari, for the murder of the SDF team sent to demon world. She is to be transported to spirit world and I have been given permission to tear down anyone, demon or human, who stands in our way."

"That won't be necessary."

The groups collectively turned to the voice. Kurama strolled from the temple doors, hands in his pockets and an air of ease about him.

"Kurama? What are you talking about?" Kuwabara asked, eyeing the redhead carefully. Some of the SDF soldiers tensed as Kurama continued forward but the leader only stood taller.

"Give us the girl and-"

"She's not here." The leader snarled at the demon's words. Kurama's eyes lit with mischief and many of them swore they could see a glimmer of gold in their depths. The fox extracted a disk from his pocket and tossed it to the leader, who caught it deftly.

"Search the temple and the mountain all you want, but Kari is long gone. You will find you answers on that."

"This is not over," the leader swore before turning to her squad. "Troops!"

"Right!" they all chimed. The soldiers glowed for a moment and then rocketed up into the air. The leader gave one last glare to each of the group before she, too, disappeared.

"Kurama?" The redhead glanced down to Yukina. The ice apparition was looking to him fearfully. "Kari is really gone?"

Kurama sighed and pulled another disk from his pocket.

"Yes, but she left this. For all of us."

* * *

Kuwabara placed the disk into the DVD player and pressed play. Suddenly, Kari's face lit up the screen. She looked to be in her room at the temple and the window behind her was dark, showing it was rather late.

"Hey, guys! If you're watching this...I'm dead." Keiko and Yukina gasped but Hiei appeared in the frame, scowling.

"Kari," he warned and the girl shot him sheepish smile.

"It's a joke!" she laughed and shooed the demon away. Hiei exited the screen and Kari turned back to them.

"Ok, no. I'm not dead and I'm planning to stay that way. However, it has come to my attention that remaining here in human world might not be the best idea."

"Do you want this?" Hiei's voice rang off screen and Kari turned to the side, nodding.

"Yeah, and the blue one, too." Kari turned back to the screen but a shirt came flying from the side, landing on her face.

"Can't you put that in my bag?" she fumed, tugging off the offending article and glaring. Hiei appeared behind her and peered into the screen.

"What are you doing?" he growled, irritable. "I thought you made one of these already."

"That was for King Yama's punk ass." The group couldn't help but chuckle at Kari's comment. What could possibly be on that disk?

"We gotta say goodbye to our friends," Kari continued. Hiei gave her another look and snatched the shirt back.

"Hurry up." Kari grinned, leaned up, and pressed a kiss to his lips. Hiei kissed her back briefly before he exited the frame.

"What the hell?!" Kuwabara screamed, jumping up from the couch and pointing at the screen. "Did they just-"

"For those of you who aren't aware," Kari interrupted, smiling on screen again and cutting off Kuwabara's protests. "Hiei and I are a thing. Been that way for a while, too. So. Kuwabara, sit back down."

The teen blinked and reluctantly sat back down.

"Ok, gotta make this quick," Kari said, getting back to business. "Hiei and I are together, we are going to demon world, and I don't know when we are coming back, "Kari rushed on, ticking the statements off on her fingers as she spoke. The girl clapped her hands together and smiled again.

"That's about it! I'm sorry we couldn't stick around longer but I have it on good authority that the SDF will probably be here in the morning to arrest me and/or exile Hiei to demon world." Kari lowered her hands and continued to smile at them all.

"I really care about all of you," Kari took a deep breath and glanced off screen, her eyes far away. "I wish I had time to explain what all has happened but even I am not really sure exactly what the tattoos or the 'jacked up eyes' mean." Yusuke grinned a little and continued watching alongside his friends as Kari said her last goodbye. Kari looked back to the screen.

"I can't make any promises about when or even if Hiei and I will come back here."

Keiko could feel herself tearing up but she tried to push it down as Kari carried on.

"But please know that I want all of you guys to keep going. Don't hold back from something that makes you happy; I'm definitely not."

* * *

Hiei watched his sleeping partner with half lidded eyes, trailing his hand across her side as she lie next to him. He traced out the swirling silver tattoos that danced across her abdomen and let his eyes wander over her body; trailing from her soft, tranquil lips down to her sheets covered hips.

Their journey to the safe house had been long. From Genkai's temple to the portal to this isolated stretch of demon world, Hiei had expected Kari to be exhausted as they ran through the night but she had kept stride with him with no complaints. They had arrived to the safe house just as the demon world sun was rising over the mountains beyond and, even then, Kari had not been tired. Of course, that had not lasted long.

Hiei let his eyes trail back up to her neck. It was littered with dark hickeys, marks left behind in their love making. No doubt he was sporting some of his own; turned out Kari was prone to biting while in the throws of passion.

His red eyes flickered up to Kari's face as he felt her tremor with a suppressed giggle.

"That tickles," she murmured with a small smile, her own eyes barely opened against the light filtering in. She looked to be glowing again, like she had on the roof during the Obon Festival, but this time is was the demon world's setting sun that made her glow. A wind, rich with the scent of his homeworld blew through the open door behind her. Kari's hair splayed across her face and he brushed it away to see her face. He loved the shade of her eyes now. Where her green eyes had always been peculiar and lovely, the golden hue suited her far better, in his opinion.

Hiei grunted and pulled the girl against him, nuzzling his nose into her hair. Kari pressed herself closer to him and trailed her nails along the tattoos on Hiei's chest.

"Think our friends watched the video yet?" Kari asked, grinning sleepily. She felt Hiei chuckle low in his chest.

"Probably." She shifted to see his face.

"And you thought it was a silly idea," she challenged, still grinning. Hiei gave her a bemused smirk.

"No, I didn't. I said it was _stupid_, not silly." Kari smacked the demon on his bicep indignantly but Hiei just kept smirking. Kari huffed and crossed her arms, turning her nose up at him. She was so fiery and beautiful.

"Kari…" Hiei tried, nuzzling his nose against her neck. Kari cringed back and tried to remain strong. Hiei grinned and ran his hand back down her side, loving the feel of her bared flesh.

"_Meito_…" Hiei purred and planted a hot kiss to the junction of her shoulder and neck. He felt Kari shiver at the attention but she wasn't going to give in so easily. Hiei pushed himself closer, melding his body to hers, and nipped at her tattoo covered collarbone.

"Princess..."

"Yes, Guardian?" Kari replied sweetly and finally looked into his face. Hiei smirked and let his hand travel beneath the sheets, cupping his hand around her thigh. Swiftly, he pulled her leg over his hip, pulling them even closer than before. Kari blushed, feeling Hiei's _interest _pressing against her belly.

"Is that how I gain your favor now?" the demon asked and ground himself against her. Kari stifled her own groan of arousal by reaching up and nibbling on his earlobe.

"Only when you are bad," she whispered hotly. Hiei moaned and rolled them over, eliciting another giggle from the girl beneath him.

"In that case," Hiei murmured as Kari wrapped her arms around his neck, "I am downright beastly."

* * *

_Author's note: And that's a wrap! Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to read this fic. Dragonborn started out as a side project to reduce stress for my wedding but has since turned into a full length work that I find myself quite proud of._

_My number one question since my last post has been "Will there be a sequel?" Well...yes. I have an idea for a sequel in the works. I love Kari and Hiei's story so much that I have extended it into another full length work but it will probably not be out for a while. I do have two more fics (Yu-Gi-Oh, if anyone is into that) in the pipeline and an original work I have been toying with for some time now. _

_Until next time, thank you again for reading and please leave a review or message me. I love to hear from readers!_


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